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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229557">Separation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelkynKarma/pseuds/VelkynKarma'>VelkynKarma</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: Legend of Korra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, Brotherly Bonding, Coma, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Pre-Series, Triad involvement, Violence, Whump, cross-post from fanfiction.net</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:40:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,361</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25229557</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelkynKarma/pseuds/VelkynKarma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Life can always take a turn for the worse, and Bolin learns it the hard way when he’s forced to come to grips with the fact that he might be on his own a little earlier than he thought. Cross-posted from Fanfiction.net. “Remastered” edition, featuring 3 brand new extra chapters.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bolin &amp; Mako (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>148</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Cross-posted from Fanfiction.net, this fic was originally posted in August 2012 for the Bromotions Week event, prompt ‘Alone.’ Note it was written when only one book of <i>Legend of Korra</i> had been released, so it may not be canon compliant anymore with new information from later seasons. Set pre-series, just a little bit after the brothers get their apartment in the arena. </p><p>Readers of the original FF.net version may notice there’s six chapters here, not three. When cleaning this up for cross-posting, I decided I didn’t like where it ended, and added a few extra recovery chapters. The new chapters are also strictly based on S1 and whatever info I dropped in the original three, so they may also not be canon compliant, since I haven’t watched S2-4.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Bolin headed back home in high spirits, with Pabu curled around his neck. He hummed to himself as he trotted down the streets—that were </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>streets now, and not the only shelter he had—towards the place he and Mako had to call their own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Heading back home. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Even two months after they’d moved into the attic of the pro-bending arena, the phrase still sent a comfortably warm bubble of happiness and contentment all through him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin didn’t remember having a home before this. His memories of the house his parents had owned were shadowy and full of holes. And while the streets had been where they lived for nine years now, they certainly couldn’t be called </span>
  <em>
    <span>home, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and they had never belonged to either of them.</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the arena’s attic was a place that </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt </span>
  </em>
  <span>like theirs. It wasn’t much, and most people probably would have turned their noses up at it. But it had a beautiful view, and it was safe, and they earned their right to stay there. Or, well, mostly Mako did. But it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>earned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The train of thought caused Bolin’s cheerful smile to slip a little as it reminded him of the morning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been sick a few weeks back. It hadn’t been serious, but it had put him out of commission for a few days as he was forced to stay in bed, aching and feeling terrible </span>
  <em>
    <span>everywhere. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mako had spent a lot of the money they’d earned doing odd jobs around the arena on medicines, or things for soup or tea. It meant they were behind on the rent for their apartment, which meant Mako had been forced to scrounge around the city again for other jobs to make a little extra cash. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin hated seeing his brother working so hard at factory shifts or stocking shelves or running around the city making deliveries. All of it was on top of his already-large workload of arena chores </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>their pro-bending training with Toza, while Bolin didn’t do much of anything. Since the problem had been caused by him, he’d suggested finding a job or two for himself as well to help with the bills. It seemed only fair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Mako had adamantly refused, insisting Bolin take it easy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sick anymore, Mako,” Bolin had protested. “I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>to take it easy. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it,” Mako had said, shaking his head. “You should enjoy the time while you’ve got it, Bo. We’ve got it easy after the streets. Why don’t you take some time to appreciate it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin had pointed out Mako ought to take his own advice for a change. Especially when he was running himself </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>as ragged now that they had a home, as he had been when they were living in alleys and under bushes. That hit a sore spot with Mako, who seemed to take it as an implication that they weren’t better off after all despite his attempts. Things only went downhill from there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the end of the argument they’d had to split up just to cool their heads. Mako left for his latest shift at one of the temporary jobs he’d found downtown, still steaming—almost literally. Bolin took off to, ironically, enjoy himself out on the town in order to clear his head.</span>
</p>
<p><span>It had worked, and by the afternoon Bolin felt in much better spirits. But the argument still worried him a little. He felt sort of bad about turning it into a fight, because he hadn’t intended to. He especially hadn’t meant to imply that he wasn’t happy now, or that he didn’t appreciate his brother’s efforts, because he </span><em><span>was </span></em><span>happy and he </span><em><span>did </span></em><span>appreciate Mako more than he knew how to say. But Mako did</span> <span>work too hard, and if he kept this up he was going to burn himself out...firebending pun entirely intended. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Think I’ll be able to talk to him about it better, now?” he asked Pabu thoughtfully, as he started up the extremely tall staircase to the attic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fire ferret squeaked in answer to his name and flicked his ears, tickling Bolin’s cheek, and he laughed. “Yeah,” he said, “You’re right. I bet Mako was just focused ‘cause of work. Now that he’s actually earned the yuans he’ll probably relax a little more.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was an uplifting thought. Mako did tend to stress out before he started anything he took seriously, like new jobs, or pro-bending practice. He’d probably be the same way with the pro-bending matches too, when they finally had enough experience to put a team together. It made him a little irritable as a result, because he focused so hard on the goal. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But normally he was a rock of common sense. That was the earthbender in him, in his blood even if it wasn’t his element. Maybe he’d listen to what Bolin had to say when he wasn’t worried about feeding them for the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But when Bolin finally reached the apartment many, </span>
  <em>
    <span>many</span>
  </em>
  <span> steps later, he was a little surprised to find it dark. </span>
</p>
<p><span>That wasn’t too</span> <span>odd, seeing as it was only late afternoon, and the sun was only just starting to think about setting. But Bolin did find it a little puzzling all the same. Mako usually came straight home from whatever job he’d found when he’d finished, to cook dinner or to just pass out on the couch after a long day. On occasion he would stay out a little while, but usually it was just to take a walk around the park or browse for new job options, if he could find any. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin doubted he was out with friends. He wasn’t sure his brother had any. Mako wasn’t exactly great with people to begin with, much less making friends with them on his own, and people didn’t usually go out of their way to reach out to street urchins. Most of the connections his brother </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>have weren’t the sort you wanted to hang around with unless you were desperate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin grimaced slightly, and did his best to put the Triple Threats out of his mind for the time being. They were done with those guys forever. Mako had promised, and made Bolin promise to stay away from them. He wouldn’t go back to them now because of money troubles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That still didn’t explain where his brother was at, though. He searched through the entirety of the apartment, and Pabu leapt down from his shoulder to help him look. But the place wasn’t exactly huge, and it was obvious in minutes that Mako wasn’t there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t look like he’d been back at all, either. The makeshift stove was completely cold. The dishes—what few they had—were still stacked neatly on the table where they were kept when not in use. And Mako’s cot in the loft didn’t look slept in at all. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wonder where he’s at?” Bolin asked Pabu, scratching his head. The fire ferret didn’t answer, but accepted Bolin’s outstretched arm to scurry back up around the earthbender’s neck.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe he was training. If whatever job Mako had lined up today hadn’t been super labor-intensive, it was almost guaranteed that he’d be down in the gym, practicing the techniques Toza had drilled him in for pro-bending. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin loved practicing for pro-bending too, and often spent his free hours in the gym. The game was exciting, and he couldn’t wait for the day he could step into the arena, lit up by the spotlights, waving to the crowds, and show them what he was capable of. He loved listening to the matches on the radio and dreaming of the day that was </span>
  <em>
    <span>him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>For Bolin, pro-bending was a dream come true. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Mako didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>like </span>
  </em>
  <span>it so much as he </span>
  <em>
    <span>devoted </span>
  </em>
  <span>himself to it. It was like he had to be absolutely perfect at every aspect of the game, regardless of if he was enjoying himself or not. Bolin could understand, in a way. To Mako, pro-bending wasn’t a dream; it was just another job to excel at, in order to earn a big paycheck that let them stay fed, warm and safe. But he wished Mako would at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>try </span>
  </em>
  <span>to enjoy it a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, maybe they could talk about that too, later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Mako wasn’t down in the gym, either. The big room was empty, and none of the iron targets used for firebenders looked like they’d been moved or torched recently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now Bolin was starting to worry a little, and he reached up to stroke Pabu’s long, fluffy tail reflexively for comfort. It was probably stupid to worry. Mako could take care of himself, as he’d proven for years, and they were much safer now than they’d ever been before. </span>
</p>
<p><span>But still, it was hard for Bolin to shake that crushing, knotted feeling in his heart that told him something bad was going to happen. He’d felt it far too often on the streets, when he was left to hide in an alley while Mako went to find them a few yuans, or something to eat, or to scout out a safe place to sleep. He’d been alone and terrified that his brother might never come back, just like his parents. Two months definitely wasn’t long enough to lose such an ingrained worry, even if Mako was</span> <span>probably safe.</span></p>
<p><span>“He </span><em><span>is</span></em><span> safe,” Bolin insisted out loud to Pabu. The fire ferret chirruped, and Bolin added, “He’s just fine. Totally fine.</span> <span>I bet he’s just taking a walk outside to cool his head some. Because he’s a firebender. Get it?”</span></p>
<p><span>He decided to take a quick walk himself...just</span> <span>to be sure. Mako could be coming in right now. Maybe he was just delayed a little. Or down by the harbor. Or finding something to eat. There was nothing to worry about, Bolin told himself firmly, as he headed for the arena’s entrance.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t see Mako, but he did nearly run smack into Toza as the coach stomped up the steps. That came as a surprise. Toza didn’t have the infamous earth sense that the legendary Toph had, but he was experienced enough as an old man </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>as an ex-athlete to know when people were nearby, and it was almost impossible to sneak up on him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To nearly run into him now meant that there was something on his mind, enough to distract him. Bolin wondered briefly what it was—he didn’t really like it when anybody was feeling down. But he was also distracted by his (totally, absolutely unfounded) concern for his brother, so he only said, “Woah, sorry Toza! I didn’t mean to—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell are you doin’ here, boy?” Toza cut him off gruffly, a note of surprise in his voice. His old, hard face was twisted into a frowning sort of grimace. Since Bolin had pretty much never seen him without a sour look on his face—even when he was perfectly happy—he thought nothing of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Toza,” Bolin said, doing his best to sound cheerful despite his concern. “I didn’t mean to startle you, I was just—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>startle </span>
  </em>
  <span>me,” Toza interrupted immediately. “I knew you were there. I just...didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>were there. What’re you doin’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>here, </span>
  </em>
  <span>boy? I’d have thought you’d be straight off to the hospital first thing, not lollygaggin’ about!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um...hospital? What are you talking about?” Bolin swallowed suddenly, and the uncomfortable, heavy knot in his stomach tightened and grew. “It’s not—Mako’s not—he’s fine, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toza’s eyes widened, just slightly. To an outsider it wouldn’t look like much. But Bolin had known him for a few months now, and to him it was as good as a shocked look. “Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>spirits, </span>
  </em>
  <span>kid, you don’t know, do you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The knot in Bolin’s heart grew still tighter, filling his whole chest, and pounded heavily, uncomfortably, </span>
  <em>
    <span>painfully. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His mouth was suddenly dry, and he had to lick his lips two, three times before forcing his wavering, frightened voice to ask, “Know </span>
  <em>
    <span>what, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Toza? Mako’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay, </span>
  </em>
  <span>right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kid—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He </span>
  <em>
    <span>has </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be okay. He promised he’d never leave. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised, </span>
  </em>
  <span>so nothing bad can happen to him, right?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin was aware on a distant level that he was babbling like a child, but he couldn’t help it. Toza wouldn’t react in surprise like that for nothing. He was usually pretty reserved when it came to showing his emotions, but he’d been </span>
  <em>
    <span>shocked</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe it wasn’t Mako—</span>
  <em>
    <span>it couldn’t be Mako, please don’t let it be Mako—</span>
  </em>
  <span>but why would Toza react like that any other way? Pabu was the only other thing that mattered so much to Bolin besides his brother, and the fire ferret was safe and secure right around his shoulders. And that meant Mako...Mako was...he was...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Kid!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Toza growled at him, and Bolin was aware very suddenly that the coach had called him several times now. He forced himself to focus, and Toza said slowly, “Listen, ki—Bolin. I’m not sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>what happened, I wasn’t there for it ‘til the end. I was just able to identify yer brother for the metalbenders.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin panicked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Identify? </span>
  </em>
  <span>They only did that for dead people, didn’t they? Oh, spirits. Mako couldn’t be—he couldn’t—he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>promised</span>
  </em>
  <span> never to leave Bolin alone like that—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Bolin!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Toza said sharply, calling the teen’s wavering attention back into focus. “Look, yer brother’s still alive—least he was when they started takin’ him to the hospital—but he was out cold. I could tell the metalbenders who he was, but that’s it. You want the whole story, it happened three blocks that way and two blocks up.” He pointed, and added, “You’ll have to ask the cops on duty which hospital they took him to, anyway. I don’t know.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right,” Bolin said distantly. “I...I gotta...later, Toza.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was probably the most unfeeling, thankless exit from a conversation Bolin had ever made. But Toza seemed to understand, and let him go without so much as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>hmph. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin threw himself down the steps three at a time with Pabu clinging frantically to his shoulders, across the street—barely missing getting hit by a passing satomobile—and towards the place Toza had indicated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made it in a record minute and a half, and it wasn’t hard to spot where </span>
  <em>
    <span>it </span>
  </em>
  <span>had happened, whatever </span>
  <em>
    <span>it </span>
  </em>
  <span>was. The road had been blocked off, with detour signs planted stoutly on either end of the street to keep the satomobiles away. A crowd of people were gathered at the far end of the block, pushing and jostling as they tried to get a good view of...of whatever was going on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Normally, Bolin was acutely aware of his large size and strength, and did his best not to abuse it. He was careful whenever he handed out hugs or stood in crowded areas, and knew how easily he could break something or hurt someone with his earthbending-enhanced strength unless he applied it carefully. And he always had a smile on his face, just to prove he really wasn’t all that intimidating. </span>
</p>
<p><span>Now he couldn’t care less, and used his strength to his advantage to shove his way easily through the crowd. He was just careful enough not to hurt somebody, but he wasn’t opposed to letting his bulkier frame and muscles do the talking for him for once. If more than a few people shot him irritated glares or tossed angry words at him, it didn’t matter; he just ignored them. He had</span> <span>to find out what happened to his brother, and he wanted to know </span><em><span>now.</span></em></p>
<p>
  <span>He pushed his way to the front in record time as well, and was stopped only by a series of metal blockades erected to keep the public at bay while the police worked. Metalbender cops were everywhere in the clearing made in the street, interviewing witnesses, gesturing to each other, studying the street cobbles. Bolin craned his neck to see what they were looking at. He felt sick to his stomach when he spotted an ashen scar blasted into the stones, and a little ways away what looked like several large splashes of blood and some scattered, dropped belongings. There were no bodies, but that didn’t make Bolin feel better in the least. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, no. Oh, spirits, what had </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Was Mako okay? Toza said he was alive, but—oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>no...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse me?” Bolin yelled, addressing a bored-looking metalbender. It took three tries before she turned to look at him with a flat expression, clearly expecting another stupid inquiry, and Bolin said timidly, “I...um...do you know what happened here? I just...I think my brother got hurt, and I want to know what happened, where I can find him...” His voice wavered again, small and weak, and Pabu licked his cheek gently in comfort.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cop did not look impressed until Bolin described his brother—</span>
  <em>
    <span>tall, black hair, gold eyes, wearing a red scarf</span>
  </em>
  <span>—whereupon her bored expression turned into one of professional sympathy. “Oh, hun,” she said tiredly. “Here, come over the line and we’ll talk.” She made a quick hand gesture, and the metal blockade bent just enough for Bolin to step over it. It snapped back into place to deter any would-be eavesdroppers once he crossed the barrier. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She led him farther into the clearing—nearer to the scar cut into the cobbles, the red stains and the dropped items—and passed him along to another metalbender, this one clearly in charge of the investigation. Bolin clutched Pabu to his chest like a stuffed animal as the man gravely explained the situation, desperately trying to take comfort in the fire ferret’s fuzzy warmth and familiarity. He struggled to keep the heavy knot in his chest from squeezing up into his throat, and failed miserably, the longer the cop talked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not entirely sure what the full details are just yet, but it looks like a Triad hit. We’re not sure which one, but it’s probable it was the Agni Kai’s. They operate frequently in this area, and everything fits them.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fits?” Bolin asked softly. He was shocked at how different his voice sounded. Pabu trilled in response, and Bolin clutched him still tighter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We think your brother was hit by firebending-generated lightning, and the Agni Kai’s prefer firebending over the other forms. Witnesses have been reporting a flash of light and sounds frequently linked to lightning generation. We’re not sure how your brother survived, but he was probably just an innocent bystander in a gang fight.” The officer gave him a sympathetic look. “Rest assured, we’ll find those responsible and make sure everything is taken care of.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin was silent for a long time, holding his pet close to his chest with trembling arms, and he caught the officers exchanging looks with each other out of the corners of their eyes. On impulse, he said, “Mako’s a firebender.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Son?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a firebender,” Bolin repeated. “And he knows how to redirect lightning.” And shoot it too, but he wasn’t sure if he ought to mention that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that’s why he survived?” one of the officers said thoughtfully. “Lucky kid. It’s possible. The witnesses weren’t clear exactly on what happened. The lightning was blinding, and most of them missed it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But he’s hurt...” Bolin rasped softly, and his eyes slid unconsciously to the bloodstains. “It didn’t work...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He might not have had time to redirect all of it,” the female officer said. “It happens, I’ve read things about it before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin barely heard her. He was too lost in his own thoughts. The officers might not have had a clear picture of what had happened, but with the little pieces they’d offered him, he suddenly knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>what had gone down. A Triad attack was more than likely, but Bolin had a feeling the Agni Kai’s had nothing to do with this one, and that the attack on his brother had been deliberate. After all, people on the streets had warned them all the time not to get in too deep with the Triads. Once you did, you never got out again unless you were dead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t know how deep Mako had gotten with the Triple Threats. Mako had never let him go on those trips. He’d helped his brother run numbers for them, but that was a comparatively unimportant job, one they would be willing to risk on street kids. Mako had definitely done other things for them for bigger payouts; Bolin still remembered him coming back to their chosen alley with his skin covered in bruises and his pockets full of cash. They probably hadn’t liked it much when he’d gotten himself and his brother off the streets and severed all ties with the gang. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The heavy weight in his heart grew stronger, threatening to drag him down and crush him from the inside. How could he have been so </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid? </span>
  </em>
  <span>This shouldn’t have happened. He should have been there for his brother, not let him be alone like this. He should have warned Mako, known something like this could happen. He should have pressed the argument this morning, insisted on going with him to work. He should have—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Should have, should have, </span>
  <em>
    <span>should have. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The fact was that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>hadn’t. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He’d spent his day wandering around the park, and down at Narook’s wasting his money eating noodles, while his brother was getting struck by lightning and maybe even </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst </span>
  </em>
  <span>brother ever, and the thought made him feel so alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It grew worse when his distant, unfocused gaze wavered to the things scattered across the paving stones by the blood spatters. Most of them were unimportant. A few scattered yuan coins. A ticket from the trolley. A scrap of paper with some work shifts scribbled on them hastily, in wavering handwriting that he recognizes as Mako’s. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the thing Bolin’s eyes were drawn to immediately was the stuffed white paper bag, now dripping with grease that soaked into the stones from laying on its side so long. Bolin recognized the bag. It was from his absolute favorite vendor a few streets over, the one he visited at least once a week when they had the extra money, ever since the first time they’d been able to spend their yuans the way they </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> and not just the way they </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako had gotten Bolin his favorite dumplings as a peace offering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the final straw for Bolin. The heavy knot in his chest crunched painfully, the thick feeling in his throat twisted and pushed and clawed its way out of him. The agonized howl that escaped him was barely human, eliciting sympathetic stares from the metalbenders and a frantic trill from Pabu, but he didn’t care what anyone else thought. He was too caught up in his own grief and terror and frantic, uncontrolled panic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako had probably been just as hesitant about revisiting the argument as Bolin had been, but he’d still been thinking of his brother all the same. And he’d been hurt </span>
  <em>
    <span>badly, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and probably still thought Bolin was angry with him, and Bolin had never, ever felt so alone and so absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>worthless </span>
  </em>
  <span>as a brother than he did right at that moment.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The metalbenders had been very accommodating, giving Bolin the name of the hospital Mako had been taken to when the earthbender finally managed to calm down. They’d even offered to call a taxi service for him to bring him there, since it was all the way on the other side of the harbor. But Bolin couldn’t afford it, so he’d declined, instead heading there on foot as fast as he possibly could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took him half an hour to reach the Yugoda Memorial Hospital, which combined waterbending healing skills, medicines, and the latest advances in technology to tend to Republic City’s citizens. When he finally did reach the double doors at the front he was winded and panting hard from the run, and spared himself just a moment to try and catch his breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Animals weren’t allowed inside, to judge by the sign with the big ‘X’ over the silhouette of a lizard-hound, so he paused long enough to coax an unenthusiastic Pabu into the depths of his coat. The last thing he needed was to get kicked out when Mako needed him because he broke a rule, even a dumb one. Once the fire ferret was hidden, he burst through the double doors in a rush for the receptionist’s desk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-my brother,” he stammered, gasping. “He was brought here—he got hurt...” The lump formed at the back of his throat again, and he did his best to force it back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The receptionist looked unimpressed, which hurt more than a little. Could she not understand how important it was that Mako be okay? But after a moment she began to dutifully ask questions about the nature of his brother’s arrival. Bolin answered as best as he could, summarizing the metalbenders’ rough reports—he remembered everything, down to the last excruciating detail—and eventually the receptionist nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That way,” she said, pointing down one of the many hallways that led off from the main alcove. “Physical injuries will be tended by waterbender healers down that wing. There’s a waiting room at the end. Ask the girl at the desk there.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin all but ran in the direction indicated, nearly bowling over one of the hospital’s staff in the process. Pabu squeaked in alarm under his jacket and dug his little claws deep into Bolin’s flesh to secure his hold. It stung, but Bolin hardly cared. He’d take a beating from a saber-tooth moose lion if it meant Mako would be okay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He plowed into the second waiting room in a rush, drawing the worried, anxious, and irritated stares of a few other waiting people. Bolin winced and murmured an apology, reminding himself that they were all concerned for somebody too, and he probably wasn’t helping matters any. They seemed to understand, turning back to the time-consuming, agonizing task of waiting. He swallowed heavily, and headed for the desk on the far wall, where a friendly-looking young woman was busy filing a large stack of papers. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I help you?” she asked brightly, as he closed in. She seemed to be trying to force as much good cheer as she could into the room, to help alleviate some of the tension. Bolin appreciated the effort, and on a better day he might’ve even tried to flirt with her—she was cute, and she seemed nice—but right now it just felt all so fake and unimportant. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My brother,” he rasped instead. “Mako—got hurt—Triad attack—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She winced sympathetically. “I think I know the one you’re talking about,” she said. “He was brought in maybe an hour and a half ago. Young firebender, pretty tall?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes! That’s him! Is he okay?” Bolin leaned forward on the desk anxiously, desperately hoping that the answer would be something positive. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Spirits, </span>
  </em>
  <span>if he was hurt badly...if it was something life threatening, or hurt him forever, or made him sick…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>no. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He couldn’t think about that. Just the myriad of possibilities flitting through his head was enough to make that knot in his chest squeeze so tightly it almost hurt to keep breathing. But he couldn’t afford that now. He had to hold on, especially now that his brother was the one that needed </span>
  <em>
    <span>him. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As if to mock his desperate attempt to sturdy himself up, and make himself stronger for Mako’s sake, the girl said, “I don’t know, sweetheart. It was pretty bad. I think the healers are still working with him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin trembled. “But...but I thought waterbending healing was fast—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For some things,” the girl said. “I’m a healer in training myself, so I should know. For an electrical strike like that? It’s a miracle he lived to begin with, but the nerve damage will be pretty bad. It’ll be a very delicate and time-consuming healing session, especially since he wasn’t treated by a healer as soon as he got hit.” She paused, shuffled through a separate stack of parchment, glanced over one of the sheets’ scribbled notes, and added, “Plus, it looks like there were some other serious injuries—most likely from a waterbender’s ice shards, since the wounds were clean.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “It’s going to be a while, sweetheart.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If a waterbender had been involved in the attack, then Bolin was almost certain it was the Triple Threats now. The Agni Kais rarely accepted waterbenders to begin with, and almost never used them in combat. The Red Monsoons preferred waterbenders, but they would never willingly work with Agni Kais without a good reason, and they didn’t like taking on firebenders. The Triple Threats were the most likely to pick up benders of any kind in order to maximize on profits and attacks, and usually sent out strike teams with one of every form.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin hardly cared about that at the moment though. He found himself twiddling his fingers anxiously as he asked, “But he’ll be okay, right? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The girl hesitated. “We’ve got the best healers in Republic City,” she said after a moment. “They’ll do everything they can for your brother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That wasn’t an answer, though. Bolin was far too used to his brother’s evasive not-quite-answers when Mako was avoiding a topic for her to pull the wool over his eyes here. They weren’t sure if Mako would even be okay, which meant it was bad, and the thought hit him like a lightning bolt strike of his own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mako was hurt </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and Bolin still didn’t even know where he was, couldn’t be with him in case—in case—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another anguished, pitiful, moaning sob escaped him before he could stop it. He felt the pressure welling up in his chest again, in the back of his throat, behind his eyes. Pabu, worried for his master, finally poked his head up through the collar of Bolin’s jacket and squeaked reassuringly, rubbing his head against the bottom of the earthbender’s chin. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The receptionist’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the animal. Bolin, in a moment of panic, cupped one hand over his fire ferret’s head protectively. They couldn’t make him get rid of Pabu too! Then he really </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>be alone in all of this, and he just...he </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>do that right now. Not with the world rapidly turning into his own worst nightmare around him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the girl smiled tentatively after a moment, and put a finger to her lips. “I won’t tell,” she promised, “but hide him when the other healers or nurses come through, they won’t like it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin nodded quickly, and Pabu took the opportunity to crawl all the way out of his jacket and down into his arms, snuggling close for comfort. Bolin clutched him again, like he had earlier at the site of attack, and asked, “Can...can I go in to be with him? My brother? He...he doesn’t really like strangers a lot, and I thought....and maybe, if he really can’t...” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He choked on that thought—</span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t think like that, Bolin, he’ll be fine, it’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mako</span>
  <em>
    <span>—</span>
  </em>
  <span>and finished lamely with, “I don’t want him to be alone.” It hung entirely unspoken but all too obvious in the air that Bolin didn’t want to be alone, either, not at a crucial moment like this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the girl shook her head. “No one is allowed to be present during the healing sessions besides the patients. We don’t want you to distract the healers, especially when they have such delicate work to do.” She smiled. “Have a little faith in us, sweetheart. We’ll do everything we can for Mako.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was strange to hear her use his name. She didn’t know him, and it didn’t feel right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He clung tighter to Pabu until the fire ferret squirmed a little uncomfortably, and his thoughts raced at a million miles an hour. His brother was alive, but he could be dying, and Bolin wasn’t even allowed to be there for him at such a vital moment. If he wasn’t already </span>
  <em>
    <span>worst brother ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>material, he certainly was now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unbidden, he spoke up, his voice harsh and raspy from sobbing, and from that painful lump in the back of his throat that still wouldn’t go away no matter how much he willed it to. “He’s the only family I have left. He’s my brother...my </span>
  <em>
    <span>only </span>
  </em>
  <span>brother...I can’t—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t you sit down?” the girl interrupted firmly, with forced cheer. “Just relax. Or you can visit the cafeteria on the other side of the building. You look like you could use a bite to eat, and they have some very good dumplings—or you could just sit down!” she repeated hastily. The mention of Bolin’s favorite snack made him bow his head and squeeze his eyes shut to try and force some of the pressure in his throat back, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mako had gotten them for him and now he was here and</span>
  </em>
  <span>—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sit,” she repeated a third time, more firmly. “I promise they’ll come out and let us know what’s going on, one way or another, okay, sweetheart?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded numbly. Suddenly he didn’t have any strength left in him for arguing; he just felt empty, cold, and very, very afraid. He staggered over to a chair in the far corner of the room, near a potted plant Pabu could hide in if the need arose, and sat down to join the other weary patients in the long game of waiting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t a fun game. A minute went by like an hour, and an hour felt like a year. He clung to Pabu in the corner, and did his best to try and stay calm and in control for his brother’s sake. Just like Mako always had for him when they hadn’t had enough to eat, or Bolin was scared of the thugs on the streets, or they hadn’t found a place to rest safely, or a hundred other things. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He failed miserably at it. It just hurt too much to even consider Mako being in so much trouble, and him being unable to do a damn thing about it. Mako had always done those things for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why couldn’t Bolin do the same?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Through the worst of it he buried his face in Pabu’s fur, and although he knew Pabu hated getting wet, the fire ferret never once squirmed away or squeaked in irritation. Five times he was forced to hide his pet in the potted plant or under his jacket as healers and nurses passed through the room. Pabu caught on quickly about staying hidden, but he was always back in Bolin’s arms the moment the coast was clear, snuggling close and licking away stray tears.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Twice, Bolin was filled with momentary hope and dread as a healer stepped forth from the chambers they worked in, only to fall back into the same anxious, terrified waiting when he realized the visit wasn’t for him. One woman rose in elation as her daughter was proclaimed safe. Bolin hoped desperately he would be able to share her happiness. The second time a middle-aged man had cried with loss as his wife was proclaimed gone, with the healer’s deepest sympathies. Bolin felt a sharp pang in his chest as his heart went out to the man, and at the same time went cold in fear at the thought of the same thing happening to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Just hold on, Mako. Just hold on, please. Please. You promised you wouldn’t leave, don’t break your promise. Just hang on, and I promise you won’t have to worry about anything, I’ll take care of everything, I swear, just...just don’t leave me alone like this, </span>
  </em>
  <span>please...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The waiting went on forever and ever. Bolin would wait even longer than that if he had to if it meant Mako would be safe, if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>it with absolute certainty. But he couldn’t be sure now, and the time stretched on longer and longer, the sunset outside died away into darkness, and the electric lights snapped on. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin hated them for no reason. The cold, emotionless lighting was nothing like the comforting, warm flames his brother would produce when they were still on the streets. They lacked that feeling of safety and rightness, and that was because Mako wasn’t there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t die, Mako. Hang on. Please.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Waiting was painful, because the entire time Bolin couldn’t help but berate himself, over and over, on what he could have done differently to prevent this. It was his fault, somehow. He just knew it. He wasn’t sure how, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was always the one getting into trouble, even if he never intended to cause the mess to begin with, and Mako was always the one getting him out of it. He had to have been responsible for this, somehow. If he’d just gone with his brother...or not gotten in a fight with him...or met up with him at the dumpling vendor’s stand...or...or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Anything. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was cruel and unfair for things to turn out like this. Not when they’d been through so much already. Not when they had finally made their break thanks to</span>
  <em>
    <span> Mako,</span>
  </em>
  <span> gotten off the streets and snatched a chance at a real life out of thin air. It wasn’t fair, he couldn’t be left alone like this, he didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have his brother, it hurt too much to even think about it—</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sweetheart?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin glanced up in a daze, noting slowly that Pabu had disappeared into his coat jacket, and that the girl from the desk was standing in front of him. Belatedly, he realized there was a healer behind her as well. It was an older woman of maybe forty years, with dark brown hair sprinkled liberally with gray, and the icy blue eyes common to most Water Tribe folk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Those eyes were focused on him, and he shot upright as his exhausted, anxious mind finally put two and two together. “Mako! Is he okay, my brother’s not—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman raised her hand, and Bolin cut off with more than a little fear as she answered. “He’s alive. We’ve done what we can for him, and we think he has a decent chance, but it’s all up to him now. We were able to treat most of his injuries with healing, but the lightning...” She shook her head, clearly disgusted. “Such a dangerous art, and it’s so difficult to predict the outcome. Your brother is lucky he’s alive. His heart stopped.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin’s eyes widened in horror. Stopped? Mako’s heart </span>
  <em>
    <span>stopped? </span>
  </em>
  <span>They weren’t supposed to do that. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>died, and the thought alone is enough to start a low moan in the back of his throat. But the healer had said…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The woman continued, “We managed to get it started again, but his heart will definitely be weak for a while, as will the rest of him. He won’t be doing any bending or physical activity for some time. And...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The healer hesitated, as if considering how to best phrase the next part. Bolin felt his heart drop into his stomach, and his whole body seemed to turn to ice. “And...and what? He’s just...he’s just gonna be weak for a while, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The desk girl gave him a sympathetic look. The healer sighed, and shook her head. “I wish I could say for certain, child,” she said. “But this isn’t the first time I’ve seen lightning damage, and I doubt it will be the last. Those ridiculous jobs at the power-plant...even with all the safety gear, it’s still...” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She shook her head again, and then said more calmly, “But there’s always different symptoms, and some of them simply can’t be spotted until the patient wakes up. Lightning has a strange way of damaging the spirit and the mind. I’ve seen some people acting like they’ve only taken a bump to the head. Others forget things, or change into whole new people, or just lose heart with living. And some of them don’t ever wake up at all...they sleep for the rest of their lives.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin’s stomach twisted uncomfortably, an unpleasant churning that, combined with the lump in his throat, made him feel vaguely like throwing up. It took him a long time to process exactly what the healer had said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Forget things...lose heart with living...never wake up. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He managed to choke out eventually, “But...but my brother...that won’t happen to him, right? He’ll wake up, won’t he? He’ll be the same as always. He’ll be Mako. My...my </span>
  <em>
    <span>brother. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He can’t...he can’t—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish I could promise for certain that he would be perfectly fit,” the healer said, not unkindly, “but I also am not in the habit of lying to my patients or their families. What I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can </span>
  </em>
  <span>tell you is that your brother hasn’t woken up yet, but it’s still very early. Anything could happen. We must just be patient.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Anything could happen. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin swallowed hard—the lump in his throat constricted painfully—and found the phrase repeating in his head over and over. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anything could happen. Anything could happen. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He tried hard to focus on the positive, that Mako could wake up and be fine. But his mind dropped back to all the negative possibilities time and time again, and he couldn’t seem to pull away from them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Anything could happen.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Spirits, Mako, don’t leave me alone like this.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can go see him now, if you want,” the desk girl added, cutting into his thoughts. “Family members are allowed to stay with their relatives, even overnight. It’s not the most comfortable stay, but if you want—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do it,” Bolin said. Sleeping in a chair was still way more comfortable than sleeping on the cold, wet ground of a dark alley. Mako needed him to be there, for support even if he couldn’t do anything else. “Where is he?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The healer offered to take him, and guided him through a series of passages to where the patients stayed. It must have been a slow night at Yugoda Memorial, although Bolin supposed vaguely that was a good thing. Although the room that the healer led him to had space for three occupants, only one of the beds was filled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin felt his breath catch when he caught sight of his brother, and seconds later the tears were flowing hot and thick down his face from a combination of worry, relief, and fear. Mako </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked </span>
  </em>
  <span>deceptively healthy. He wore one of the thin, clean white robes provided by the hospital, and since it was a warm night the covers had only been pulled up to his waist. Only his arms, neck and head were really visible, but other than his skin being a few shades too pale and a lot of clean bandages peeking from beneath the robe, there were no notable signs of injury. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In fact, he just looked like he was asleep—and that made it all the more frightening for Bolin. Because his brother looked almost peaceful, laying there like that, like he could drift off and sleep forever. And Bolin knew he really </span>
  <em>
    <span>could. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mako could slip away and never come back, and Bolin would be alone for the rest of his life, and he was terrified of that ever happening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was at his brother’s side before he’d even realized he’d started moving, wrapping his hands around one of his brother’s as he half whispered, half sobbed, “Mako, bro, I’m here, I’m so sorry I’m late—I wanted to come sooner but they wouldn’t let me—I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you, and I’m s-sorry about the fight, I’m not mad at you, I never was....you gotta wake up, bro, come on...wake up, Mako, d-don’t leave me alone, okay?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako did not answer. He didn’t even stir, or react to his brother’s voice in the slightest. Bolin felt another agonized, horrified moan starting to claw its way out of the depths of his throat at the absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>lack </span>
  </em>
  <span>of his brother there. Like it was just a doll wearing his brother’s skin; like Mako himself was gone forever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The healer coughed quietly, and said, “Remember, it’s still early. There’s always a chance. For now, try not to stress him, and don’t disturb the bandages. The gashes from the ice shards are mostly healed, but they were very deep. I plan to give him another session tomorrow to finish closing them, and deal with the last of the scarring. Until then, it’s best not to disturb the injuries too much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Bolin said quietly, only half-listening as he watched his brother’s face and squeezed his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It dawned on him suddenly that Mako wasn’t wearing his gloves, or anything else he usually wore, either. Suddenly frantic, Bolin cast his gaze about the room, searching for the familiar flash of red that was so dear to his brother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“His clothes,” he said loudly. “Where are his clothes from earlier?” If the scarf had been lost on top of everything else—no. He’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>find </span>
  </em>
  <span>it for Mako, even if he had to tear apart the entire stupid hospital and every street from here to the attack site just to do it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the healer gestured to a small cupboard next to the bed, and when Bolin pried it open he sighed with relief. Everything was stacked inside, with the scarf folded neatly on top. Mako’s old coat and shirt were shredded and stained beyond repair from the icicle shards and blood, and there was a frightening burn stretched across one section of the fabrics. The scarf had a few tears in it as well, and Bolin winced at that, but it looked like it had been lucky enough to escape the brunt of the damage. He slipped it carefully from the pile and closed the cupboard doors.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feel free to call us if you need anything, or if something changes with your brother,” the healer said. Bolin nodded absently, and she turned on her heel and left the room, closing the door behind her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as she had left, Pabu clawed his way out of Bolin’s jacket, trilling and chattering in agitation from hiding for so long. The fire ferret paused when he caught sight of Mako, and leapt lightly over to the bed, scurrying over the unconscious firebender once or twice before finally licking his face. Mako didn’t respond with his usual good-natured complaints at the pet using him as a jungle gym—he didn’t respond at all. Pabu’s ears flattened, and he cocked his head in confusion, nudging the older brother’s jaw with the same lack of response. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin felt sick watching it, but tried to say as bravely as possible, “He’s not feeling so well right now, Pabu. It’s okay. He’ll...he’ll get better.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please </span>
  </em>
  <span>let him get better. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pabu seemed to accept his master’s assurances at face value, and climbed back up to the earthbender’s shoulders to settle comfortably around his neck. Bolin gave him a weak scratch on the head, and then returned his attention to his brother’s scarf. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako had several bandages on his neck and shoulders, and Bolin could only begin to imagine what that meant. Ice shard daggers aimed for the throat or the jugular could be deadly, and the healer had said his wounds had been deep. Even if the lightning hadn’t been effective, Mako still could have died from that alone, if the waterbenders hadn’t been able to treat him in time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The healer had said not to disturb any of the bandages, and Bolin was a little scared of touching them and accidentally hurting Mako further. So he did the next best thing, and folded the scarf carefully, slipping it behind his brother’s head like an extra pillow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There. Mako always said it felt like the scarf—and by extension, their father—kept him safe. Hopefully it would keep him safe now, as well.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that taken care of, Bolin separated from his brother only long enough to drag a pair of chairs over to the bedside. He shucked his jacket over the back of the farther one, and then sat down in the closer chair at his brother’s side, taking Mako’s hand again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako still didn’t stir, but that was fine. Bolin would wait as long as he had to for his brother, and do whatever he could for him, just like Mako always did for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Even if it only meant being there for him during a long night in a lonely hospital. He’d do whatever it took.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry,” Bolin said softly. His voice was still raspy, and the lump was still there, but it felt a little more controlled now; still a threat, but a threat he could do something about, now that he didn’t feel helpless in the situation. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. So...so don’t you leave me alone here, Mako, ‘cause I’m not going to leave you alone here, either.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he didn’t. He stayed awake for hours, talking to his silent, unmoving brother until the exhaustion and the worry and the sorrow finally took its toll on him, and he slumped against the bed, still holding his brother’s hand. His loyal little fire ferret curled up quietly at his side, and none of them were alone.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next three days were unpleasant ones, filled with a lot of worry, fear, and misery, as Bolin discovered he could do little but wait. By the end of only the first day he felt stretched thin. He’d endured so many emotions in such a short time period it was like his soul had been flayed to the core, and he felt weak and exhausted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yet he couldn’t afford to rest, physically </span>
  <em>
    <span>or </span>
  </em>
  <span>mentally. There was just too much to do, too many things he had to focus on. And that was if he even </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>convince himself to do so. Part of him almost felt guilty resting, or trying to calm down and not strain himself too much. Not when he should be there for his brother whenever he could be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because Mako still hadn’t woken yet. Three days had gone past and he had never stirred once. He never mumbled in his sleep or opened his eyes. He never smiled when Bolin held his hand and talked to him, or frowned in annoyance when Pabu curled up by his neck or on his chest. He was still as the grave, and for Bolin that was a terrifying but fitting comparison. Only the fact that he still breathed, chest rising and falling slowly, and that Bolin could still feel a pulse in his wrist whenever he held his hand, reassured the earthbender that his brother was still alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Just be patient, </span>
  </em>
  <span>all the healers told him. But every day that went past when Mako only slept on, Bolin felt the tension grow just a little thicker, felt his soul flayed just a little deeper, and his mental begging to the spirits became more and more frantic and desperate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin stayed with him whenever he could, holding his brother’s hand and talking to him, encouraging him to wake up, supporting him any way possible. He took his meals down at the cafeteria. The food was cheap and filling, and he never really tasted it anyway, just let it fill him up so his stomach wouldn’t rumble and he could sit by Mako in peace. He slept there too, sometimes using one of the spare beds if he had to, but mostly sleeping in the chairs by Mako’s side or folded over the edge of the bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By now the staff had become very familiar with him, and he could already greet most of the nurses and healers on a first-name basis. They seemed to think it was sweet that he was so loyal to his brother, and usually helped him out in little ways. Most of them turned a blind eye to Pabu, when they caught sight of the fire ferret. They would occasionally bring him a snack or a blanket, or offer gentle words of sympathy and well-wishing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He went back to the arena only to change his clothes and shower, and to take care of the chores around the gym for Toza that let them earn their keep. He covered Mako’s half of the work, too, which meant it took twice as long, and he hated being away from his brother for several hours. But it had to get done if they wanted to keep their apartment. Bolin didn’t want his brother to get out of the hospital, still weak, only to discover they were back on the streets again. People weakened that badly on the streets tended to not last long. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If he even left the hospital to begin with. Bolin tried hard not to think about that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whenever he left his brother he always made sure to leave Pabu behind with him, just in case. It wasn’t that Bolin didn’t trust the hospital staff—they all seemed like very nice people, and he was sure they were doing their best to help Mako. But if his brother </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>wake up when Bolin wasn’t there, the earthbender wanted Mako to know for sure that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been around, and to have someone familiar and comforting with him so he wasn’t alone. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako wasn’t as close to the fire ferret as Bolin was, but Pabu would definitely be more reassuring than an unknown bed in an unknown room with unknown people all around him. Bolin always instructed Pabu to stick close to his brother, and the fire ferret took his guard duties seriously. He curled up by Mako’s side, attentive and watchful, and only moved to hide under the covers or the bed when somebody entered the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a good thing he </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>leave Pabu with his brother, because as the days went by Bolin was called away from the room more and more often, and not just to change or take care of the arena chores. There were plenty of other new, unfamiliar things to deal with as well. For the first time in his life he felt the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders, as he was forced to handle things he’d never had to before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For starters, he’d had to fill out paperwork for the hospital, in order to take care of Mako’s stay and treatment. It hadn’t been too difficult, fortunately. He’d needed help with some of the questions, but the nurses were always happy to assist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then more paperwork and a quick interview with the metalbenders, as they continued to work on the case for Mako’s attack. He’d had to head down to the station for that, which worried him a little. He didn’t exactly distrust metalbenders, but Mako always acted cautious around them, especially when they’d done work for the Triple Threats. He didn’t want to inadvertently get himself or his big brother into trouble with their gang history—Mako more than himself—and he was afraid that if they asked too many questions about the attempted hit, they might dig too deep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the interview wasn’t as scary as Bolin had originally anticipated, and the only question he had been worried about was their ages. Mako had told him once that Republic City had laws about legal guardianship: one had to be eighteen in order to take care of a younger sibling, and they also had to qualify as fit enough to care for the brother or sister in question. Mako was only seventeen </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>seriously injured, which might not let him qualify. If the police caught on, it was always possible they could be separated, even though Bolin wasn’t really a child. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he lied, and said that Mako was twenty, and he was eighteen. It was a bit of a stretch for him, but Mako definitely looked the part, since he’d always looked a little older than he really was. The metalbenders thankfully didn’t question him further and sent him on his way, promising to report anything they uncovered further about the Triad attack right away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That left Bolin with the uncomfortable thoughts about the Triple Threats running through his mind as he headed back for the hospital. Would they leave Mako alone after this? It seemed more like a deliberate hit than being unlucky enough to get stuck in the crossfire. It had probably been intended to teach Mako a lesson for trying to clean up his act, and get off the streets, and out from under their thumbs. The question was, if Mako survived, would they keep </span>
  <em>
    <span>trying </span>
  </em>
  <span>to teach him that lesson, or was this punishment enough? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They hadn’t come after Bolin, and they could find him easily enough if they wanted to. Maybe the attack had been enough for them. Bolin wasn’t sure, and it left him anxious for his brother’s safety. He’d fight the Triads to keep Mako safe if he had to, but he wasn’t sure how well he’d do, and he could end up just like Mako. He resolved to discuss it with his brother if he woke up. This would be the sort of thing Mako would know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>When. </span>
  </em>
  <span>When</span>
  <em>
    <span> he wakes up, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin corrected himself, with a guilty twist in his gut for even making the mistake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then there were the medical expenses, which made Bolin’s eyes pop when he’d seen the cost for emergency medical care, and the continued treatments as Mako slept on. He’d had no idea healing was so expensive. No wonder Mako had always done his best to keep them from getting sick on the streets, and avoided seeing a doctor or taking medicines if he could. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin managed to make the payments, barely. But he’d had to tear the attic apartment apart to find Mako’s hidden emergency money stash—it was definitely an emergency—and borrow a lot from Toza to boot. He’d be owing the coach a lot of extra chores for a couple of months, and he’d be scrubbing the arena from top to bottom as well until further notice. It was worth it, if Mako would be well taken care of, still alive, and off the streets. He’d scrub the arena for the rest of his life if he had to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It meant he was working even more now and had less time with Mako, which was frustrating. But Pabu was always with him. And Bolin would still be there every night for certain, holding his brother’s hand and watching as he slept-but-not-really, oblivious to the world. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it was during the third night, as he stayed by his brother’s side, that he realized just how lonely and painful it was being the caretaker. It was scary, doing everything he could, and still facing the frightening realization that maybe everything just wasn’t enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Spirits, was this what Mako went through every day...what he’d gone through for almost ten years now? Struggling so hard just to make ends meet, to keep them going one more day, to find answers where there weren’t any, to make sure his little brother was always safe and taken care of and never had to worry? Three days of it alone was wearing Bolin thin. He couldn’t imagine how Mako had ever found the strength to do this for so long.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or....maybe he could. The more Bolin thought about it, the more he realized that all of those things—the exhaustion, the work, the responsibility—none of it would matter, if Mako would just wake up, manage a smile, be happy, be </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin would deal with all of it and more if Mako would just </span>
  <em>
    <span>come back, </span>
  </em>
  <span>not be a lifeless shadow of a firebender. He could handle anything if he saw that his brother was safe and happy, he was sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And...wasn’t that what Mako had done? Living on the streets, and then in the arena, he’d often seem so beaten down and exhausted and stressed when he tried to find food or a place to sleep or jobs to supplement their arena chores. But he’d always cheer right up, seem stronger and more composed, when he saw Bolin laugh or grin or enthusiastically accept gifts of food. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was like those things all made it worthwhile for Mako—knowing that his brother was safe and happy, knowing that all his struggles and efforts were </span>
  <em>
    <span>for </span>
  </em>
  <span>something. Even in the fight they’d had before the accident, it was obvious. He’d told Bolin to enjoy himself now that they were living better, and had seemed hurt when Bolin had unintentionally implied that Mako wasn’t doing well enough by them—no, by </span>
  <em>
    <span>him. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unexpectedly, it all clicked. He understood his brother in a new way that he hadn’t before he’d been forced to accept the role of responsibility. The overwork, the stress, the focus, the satisfaction when it all became worthwhile—he understood </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>it happened, just as much as that it </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>happen. And he knew he’d do the same for Mako if he had to, because even if the roles were reversed forever, and the responsibility was crushing and painful and exhausting, it would all be worth it just to know Mako was okay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He squeezed his brother’s hand tightly and whispered, “Thanks, Mako. For everything.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And although Mako was silent and still as always, Bolin knew his brother would understand anyway.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the fifth day after the accident with still no progress, Bolin was starting to despair more than a little. The healers had said to give it time, to be patient, but Mako still hadn’t woken up. He was as silent and as unresponsive as ever, and when Bolin returned for the night the nurses reported no progress while he was away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were as kind as ever, but Bolin could detect a sad edge to their mannerisms now. The first day, they’d used waterbending to keep his brother hydrated. After that they changed their tactics, setting his brother up with new technology they called an ‘IV.’ They explained that it let Mako get water and nutrients through a needle and tube in his arm, even when he was sleeping, so he didn’t dehydrate or starve. They didn’t have to explain that the change meant Mako was worse off than they’d hoped for, and they didn’t expect him to wake up on his own before he starved in his sleep. Bolin could see that for himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And although they never said anything, Bolin could guess all too well that they thought his brother’s chances were dropping fast with each new day of no developments whatsoever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made him feel sick to his stomach, because it only reinforced his own worst fears, and made the frightening dreams he’d had every night since the accident slip closer and closer to becoming reality. He envisioned Mako like this for the rest of his not-quite-life, alone in his own head, buried in a tangle of needles and tubes, shut up in a box of a room while strangers tended to him because he couldn’t even take care of himself. He hated those thoughts. He knew Mako would hate them, too.</span>
</p>
<p><span>This wasn’t how Bolin wanted it to be. He didn’t want to work so hard for Mako just for him to still suffer in a cruelly unfair way, eerily silent, unresponsive and trapped. He wanted Mako to wake up, to talk with him and joke with him and lecture him sternly when he did something stupid. He’d take care of </span><em><span>everything </span></em><span>if Mako would just come back</span> <span>and be his brother</span> <span>again.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>He sat with Mako like he always did at night, gripping his hand tightly, like it was a lifeline. He had to be careful of the IV lines, but he liked to imagine he could somehow drag Mako back from that silent world of the half-dead by sheer determination and physical contact alone. Sometimes he believed holding his brother’s hand would guide him, if he was lost in his own head, showing him the way back. Neither thought had proved true so far, but he didn't stop trying anyway. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt too exhausted to cry tonight. He hadn’t slept much the night before, and he’d worked for most of the day cleaning the arena, which left him sore and tired. But Pabu seemed to understand how he felt and crawled up onto his shoulder to lick his cheek, as if clearing away invisible tears. It helped a little, and he scratched the fire ferret’s head fondly before turning back to his brother.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Mako,” he pleaded. “You gotta wake up. Just wake up. That’s all you gotta do. Please. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako didn’t respond, as always. Bolin sighed tiredly in defeat. An hour later he had flopped forward with his head pillowed on Mako’s bed, soundly asleep from a long day of work and worry, one hand still wrapped around his brother’s even in slumber.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He woke up hours later when he felt something move, and jolted into consciousness with a start. A blanket slipped from around his shoulders as he shot upright. One of the nurses had probably put it there when on the rounds, but that wasn’t what woke him up, and there was no one else in the room. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t Pabu either. The fire ferret was curled up comfortably at the crook of Mako’s neck, his little head pillowed on the edge of Mako’s red scarf as he slept soundly. Bolin glanced blearily at the clock he could barely see in the darkness—two-thirty in the morning—and then frowned, trying to remember what had woken him with the fuzzy mind of the only half-conscious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He felt the movement again, and realized with a start that it was Mako’s fingers, still wrapped in his hand, twitching ever so slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin’s eyes widened, and he felt a surge of hope, primal, powerful and burning bright, flood through his heart. “Mako?” he gasped breathlessly, squeezing his brother’s hand gently. “Mako, can you hear me? You awake, bro?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He held his breath and waited impatiently for some sort of response, something to show his brother had heard him and understood. For a long time there was nothing, and Bolin’s hopefulness started to dissolve into gloom. Maybe he’d just imagined it. It was late, and he was exhausted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then Mako’s even breathing hitched for a fraction of a second, his fingers twitched again just barely. His expressionless, empty face shifted ever so slightly as his brows drew together in a ghost of a frown in his sleep.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not imagining this,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Bolin thought, hopeful once again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And if I am dreaming, I don’t want to wake up to reality. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Out loud, he said encouragingly, “C’mon, bro, wake up—if you can hear me Mako, you’ve gotta open your eyes, wake up, c’mon, you can do it, just give it a shot—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako didn’t snap awake at the prompt, but he did seem to respond to Bolin’s voice. His breath hitched again for a moment, louder this time, and his fingers twitched harder, with a little more movement and strength than before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The signs continued—breath shifting slightly out of the pattern of sleep, the slight stirring that grew gradually stronger, the barest hints of emotion flickering across his sleeping face for a tiny fraction of a second. They were small signs, but Bolin spotted every one with a mix of excitement, relief, and (just barely) horror. It was like watching a man’s soul pour back into his body, like watching him try to claw his way out of his own buried grave after lingering in the world of the dead for too long, and it was a little frightening. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But even more than that it was wonderful. Because Mako was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fighting </span>
  </em>
  <span>now, and Bolin </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>it. His brother would never give up on him like that, not when he knew Bolin was there and needed him and he could </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>something about it. So Bolin whispered encouragement—“you’re doing great, Mako, c’mon, wake up, you can do it—” and clutched his hand tightly like a lifeline, guiding him back. Pabu helped too, nudging Mako’s head with his nose and squeaking shrilly in his ear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When it did happen it wasn’t at all like Bolin expected. He figured it would be gradual, like everything else had been. He didn’t expect his brother’s eyes to fly open suddenly, or for his whole body to go unexpectedly rigid with tension. The gold of Mako’s eyes was dulled by the darkness, more like weak copper, and it made him look unexpectedly sickly and very, very confused. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His gaze flickered around wildly. Bolin saw no recognition in his eyes as Mako glanced at his own brother, which terrified him at first. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They forget things, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the healer had said. But then he realized it was dark, Mako had woken suddenly in an unfamiliar place after being unconscious for days, and he probably didn’t even see Bolin in the gloom. That explained the tension and confusion, and what the earthbender now recognized as a very primal sort of panic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mako, calm down! It’s me, it’s Bolin!” he said frantically, gripping his brother’s hand with one of his own and placing the other palm on the firebender’s forehead. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako went frighteningly still at the contact, and for one terrifying moment Bolin panicked. But then Mako rasped softly, “Bo? You...you here?” His voice sounded hoarse and weak, and his eyes flickered tiredly in the dark. He was still obviously deeply disoriented from the unexpected wakeup. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Mako, I’m right here,” Bolin said, unable to hide the relief and excitement in his voice at being recognized and responded to. “How are you feeling? You got hurt pretty bad and you’ve been unconscious for a long time, I’m guessing not good...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a long moment of silence as Mako mostly concentrated on breathing, and Bolin returned both hands to Mako’s one, giving him all the time he needed. He could be infinitely patient now, just because Mako was </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>awake, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and everything could only get better from here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tired,” Mako finally said, after a long moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin couldn’t help but laugh at that. It was a weak sort of laugh, one born of exhaustion and too many emotions being put through the wringer, but it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>laughter. “You can’t be tired, Mako! You’ve been sleeping for five days straight!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t feel like it,” Mako answered back, although he did sound groggy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, fine,” Bolin humored, squeezing his hand again. “How about the rest of you? Are you sore or hurting anywhere?” The healers had listed these as possible symptoms amongst many other things for lightning strikes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Mako answered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even when they were both half-asleep and barely able to focus, Bolin was able to recognize his brother’s evasiveness. It made his heart squeeze tight with appreciation for his brother. Even after being unconscious for five days straight and waking up in a strange place unexpectedly, Mako was still trying to keep Bolin from getting worried by downplaying his own problems. Mako was definitely an expert when it came to being the big brother; looking after Bolin was practically in his blood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it also made Bolin want to roll his eyes in exasperation, because Mako was </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>like this. And he wasn’t allowed to get away with it right now, not when </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the one that needed looking after. Bolin knew Mako had to be hurting at least a little, but his brother would deny it repeatedly unless he was forced into admitting it in a different way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he said, “Great!” and bent over to awkwardly wrap his brother up in a relieved hug. He was extremely careful with it, doing his best not to put too much pressure on his brother or pull out the IV lines, but even so he heard the hiss of pain and Mako’s sharp intake of breath at the contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” he admitted groggily after a moment, as Bolin glared at him sternly and sat back once again, “maybe a little sore.” He seemed too out of it to realize he’d even been played, which was definitely indication enough that he had a ways to go before he was all better.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin fastened his hand around his brother’s again, and said with genuine, heartfelt relief and happiness, “Mako, I...I’m just...I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>glad you’re okay, and awake, and...I was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>worried, </span>
  </em>
  <span>watching you just lay there like that and not waking up, and they couldn’t...they couldn’t promise me if you would or, or...” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Oh, no. He’d wanted to be strong for his brother, but already he could feel his throat getting thicker and his voice starting to catch as all his fears and anxieties and sorrows came pouring out in a sudden rush. He sniffled, doing his best to try and cover it up and failing miserably, and finished lamely, “I’ve been so scared for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, Bo,” Mako rasped softly. “I didn’t mean to worry you...it’ll be okay now.” How strange it was, for the injured man in bed to be reassuring his perfectly healthy brother after barely escaping from his forced rest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean to make you mad, either,” Bolin rushed on, determined to get it all out, now, before it was too late. He’d stewed in the guilt for five days as he watched over his brother, and thought over and over about what he would say if...</span>
  <em>
    <span>when</span>
  </em>
  <span>...Mako woke up. He had to let him know right away, because he couldn’t ever let a situation like that come up again. “I was just...I worry about you, Mako, but I don’t want you to think you don’t do enough, you do </span>
  <em>
    <span>great, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’d be in serious trouble without you, but I was never mad—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, Bo,” Mako said softly. “I know. It was a stupid fight for both of us...” He gave Bolin’s hand a weak squeeze, and just like that everything was forgotten and forgiven between them. Bolin sniffled again, but his smile was one of weak relief. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were silent for a long time, and Bolin thought that maybe his brother had drifted off—into real sleep, this time, not something enforced by a destructive lighting blast. But after a moment Mako said tiredly, “Where are we...?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yugoda Memorial,” Bolin answered automatically. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pabu, feeling left out, crawled over to Mako’s other hand and shoved his nose under it, demanding attention. Mako complied with a tiny, tired smile, fingers scratching weakly at the soft fur, but froze at the name of the hospital.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For five days?” he asked slowly, as his tired mind struggled to comprehend it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t afford that,” Mako whispered softly. “Even with the money I earned on the way back—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was stolen,” Bolin told him guiltily. The Triple Threats that had attacked Mako also had the audacity to steal his hard-earned yuans before leaving him for dead. Then he added, “But don’t worry, Mako, I got it all taken care of.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You...you did?” there was a mix of puzzlement and what almost sounded like worry in Mako’s weak voice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Bolin answered reassuringly. “I had to borrow some from Toza, but I figured out some extra work I can do for him to pay it off, unless we get lucky enough to form a team and start earning money early. I had to use up all of your emergency stash, though...sorry, Mako.” He winced. He’d never been as good with money as Mako, and had a feeling his brother wouldn’t be happy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako didn’t seem upset, but he did appear concerned. “Okay,” he said after a long moment, “Well, we’ve been there before...but I should really get out of here to cut costs—” He tried to weakly lever himself up, out of bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin frowned and pushed him back down. It wasn’t hard to do—he could feel Mako’s shoulders trembling from even the little amount of exertion he’d spent trying to sit up. “Uh-uh. No way. You’re staying put. The healers say lightning damage is pretty hard on the nerves, and it’ll take you a while to heal completely.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I feel fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, you don’t,” Bolin said, “Or you could push me out of the way and get up yourself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please, </span>
  </em>
  <span>bro, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>just take it easy like the healers say, okay? I’ll take care of things. You can call the shots, but I don’t want you to get hurt again, so just...just be careful until they say you’re better, for me if nothing else. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako was silent for a long time, watching him. Bolin felt like his emotions were written all over his face, and for Mako they probably were. Mako wasn’t great with other people, but he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>been good at reading family. And true to form, Mako finally said softly, “I really had you worried, didn’t I, Bolin?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You couldn’t see it,” Bolin whispered softly. “It wasn’t fair. I was so afraid you were going to leave me all alone, and I couldn’t do anything about it...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m never going to do that, Bo. I promised.”</span>
</p>
<p><span>“I know, I </span><em><span>know!</span></em><span> And that’s why it hurt so much more to see you just...</span><em><span>laying </span></em><span>there, like nothing was wrong, but I </span><em><span>knew </span></em><span>something was because you weren’t getting up and...” Bolin shuddered and his babbling ground to a halt. “Just, I can do something about it this time. I can help you out while you take it easy,</span> <span>so I know you won’t get hurt again. Just let me help out, okay?”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Mako sighed. It sounded tired. “Alright, Bolin. I promise I’ll try, for your sake. At least for a little while.” His voice became, if possible, even more serious. “But I meant what I said before, Bolin, I’m never going to leave you alone like that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin nodded, squeezed his hand. “I believe you. Same back at you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako managed a weak smile—more of a crook at the corner of his mouth than anything else—and Bolin responded with a relieved grin of his own. Pabu, not to be left out, crawled on top of Mako’s chest and squeaked shrilly, including his own promise in the mix.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako fell asleep shortly after that. It was obvious he was exhausted and still felt terrible, for all his pretense to the contrary. Bolin was okay with it this time. He knew his brother would come back again, and with that came the reassurance that everything would be okay once again. After all, they could figure it all out—the funding for the hospital stay, how to deal with the Triple Threats, the answers for the police, food, jobs, </span>
  <em>
    <span>living</span>
  </em>
  <span>—everything, anything, as long as they were together.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is where the fic originally ended in the ff.net version. But while cleaning it up to cross-post, I realized there was still too much left unresolved, and I just didn't like the way it ended. So the remaining chapters are all new, to finish resolving the story.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It turned out that Mako waking up from a lightning-induced sleep was only the <em> first </em>step in a long recovery. Bolin wasn’t surprised by that, since the healers had already warned him about it on the first night. But it was still a little frightening to think that even after five days of waiting, Mako wasn’t quite out of trouble just yet.</p>
<p>Bolin also wasn’t surprised that Mako chafed at being stuck in the Yugoda Memorial for an extended stay. His older brother was <em> trying, </em>at Bolin’s request, to take it easy, listen to the healers, and focus on recovering. But it was obvious that he was counting each yuan in his head for every additional day he was forced to spend there, and he definitely didn’t like being in the company of strangers all day while he wasn’t feeling well.</p>
<p>“I really don’t need to be here,” he insisted, for the fourth time in a row, after Bolin returned from doing the arena chores and getting a shower and a change of clothes, the day after Mako woke up. “I feel fine. I promise.”</p>
<p>Calling his brother out on the lie wouldn’t help matters any, so Bolin gave him the best polar-bear pup eyes he could manage, and said, “But you <em> did </em>promise to listen to the healers. And they said you need a little bit longer. So just wait a little bit longer. Please, Mako?”</p>
<p>Mako grumbled under his breath, but grudgingly gave in. </p>
<p>The fact was, Mako <em> wasn’t </em>fine. He wasn’t unconscious anymore, but he obviously didn’t feel good, and he couldn’t always hide it. The first day he could barely sit up under his own power. He needed Bolin’s help to stay upright, while the healer ran her bending water across his back and spine to tend to nerve damage, to check that his heart and lungs were working right, and to work on the awful scar left by the residual blast on his chest. He’d been short of breath after even those short healing sessions, leaning heavily on Bolin’s supportive arm while obviously struggling not to show how badly he was hurting. </p>
<p>That had been frightening, seeing his brother that way. Mako wasn’t weak, and he wasn’t supposed to struggle with simple things like sitting up and breathing. Mako had survived on the streets and carried Bolin through it with him. He’d been a solid, supportive rock through those awful times. This wasn’t <em>right. </em></p>
<p>But Bolin was an earthbender. He <em> understood </em>solid and supportive. And if that was what Mako needed from him, he could be that. </p>
<p>So he helped his brother with those healing sessions, and pretended he didn’t notice how heavily Mako leaned on his arm just to stay upright. He chattered about whatever came to mind—the jobs Toza had been giving him, the food in the cafeteria, gossip from around the city—to give Mako something to focus on. He carefully ignored the way Mako’s fingers would twitch or dig into his jacket sleeves when the healing water manipulated something wrong and painful inside him, or the way his breaths would sometimes hitch under the healer’s careful ministrations.</p>
<p>The water therapy the healers used on Mako might have been uncomfortable, but it <em> did </em>seem to be working. After the first day, Mako could sit up on his own for a little while without help or difficulty breathing, and the healers reported marked improvement in his nerve damage. But when he moved, his limbs were stiff and jerky, like his muscles were sore or in pain. Bolin had to help him make it to the small bathroom attached to the hospital room, because he still wasn’t quite up to walking, and too much of even light activity still made him short of breath. </p>
<p>Mako was a fighter though, and he didn’t give in easily. Every day he worked hard to get better, and to regain his coordination and his strength. If anything, he pushed himself too hard, and Bolin had to remind him over and over again to not exhaust himself trying to get better. If he made himself sick working too hard to get out of the hospital, he would just make his hospital stay longer, and then where would they be? </p>
<p>Mako listened, if grudgingly. The nurses <em> always </em>had exasperating stories to tell Bolin when he got back from trying to earn their keep, about him trying to get out of bed on his own or working through basic exercises to regain movement a little too much. But he didn’t push himself so hard that he collapsed, or accidentally hurt himself. </p>
<p>“Keep an eye on him, Pabu,” Bolin ordered, the third day he had to leave to deal with his extra arena chores. “If he works too hard today, sit on him.”</p>
<p>Pabu squeaked in acknowledgement, and Mako raised an eyebrow. “And what is that supposed to do, exactly?” he asked.</p>
<p>“You’re right,” Bolin agreed, after a moment. Pabu was way too small to hold Mako down if he was trying to push himself. “Blindfold him with your tail. Then he can’t see what he’s doing, and he’ll have to stop and rest!”</p>
<p>Mako scowled at him, sighed, and turned his attention to his half-eaten tray of hospital food. “Do you want some of this before you go?”</p>
<p>“Mako, that’s for <em> you,” </em> Bolin said, frowning. “You need to eat all of it so you get your strength back.” The healers had removed the IV lines once Mako was awake and able to keep food and broth down, but he still had to actually <em> eat </em>in order to regain his health and weight.</p>
<p>“I’m not hungry,” Mako said. “And it will save on costs if you don’t need to go to the cafeteria for other meals—”</p>
<p>Ah. So <em> that </em>was the real reason. Bolin didn’t believe for a second his brother wasn’t hungry, but it wouldn’t have been the first time Mako skimped on his own meals for financial reasons, or to take care of Bolin first. </p>
<p>“I’ve got it, Mako,” Bolin promised. “Seriously. You said you’d let me handle things and just work on getting better, remember? Besides, the cafeteria here is pretty cheap. <em> And </em>they all know me down there now, so sometimes they’ll give me some extra dumplings or noodles on the side, free of charge.” He grinned at Mako and gave him a conspiratory wink. </p>
<p>Mako looked a little put out at Bolin’s answer, but the ghost of a smile flickered over his face at the end. “You always were good at the innocent con,” he agreed after a moment. </p>
<p>It wasn’t so much of a con in this case, but Bolin didn’t need to tell his brother that part. Most of the cafeteria workers had learned his story pretty quickly, and they’d felt sorry for him. But Mako never had liked accepting help out of pity, or even out of kindness; he’d always been too prideful for that. Bolin kept that information to himself. </p>
<p>Despite not being the best patient, Mako did improve over the next several days. With more water therapy, he was able to start walking for longer and longer periods of time under his own power, with less struggles breathing. He was cagey when answering questions about how much pain or soreness he was in, even with the healers, but it was clear he was improving with time. </p>
<p>The one thing the healers were worried most about was his chi, especially since Mako was a firebender. According to the healers, lightning had a way of destabilizing the flow of energy in a body. Most victims of lighting—natural or firebender-made—suffered severe chi blockages, which could inhibit bending and even keep non-benders from recovering as quickly as they should have.</p>
<p>In a way, the healers said, Mako had been lucky. He knew how to redirect lightning, which meant he’d managed to mitigate some of the damage, because he’d controlled at least some of the flow of energy. They said it was probably the reason he was still alive at all. But it hadn’t been perfect, which meant that his chi was sluggish and weak, twisted up inside him uselessly. The healing sessions helped with the blockage, but even the healers admitted it was something that would have to recover on its own over time. </p>
<p>“But absolutely no firebending until your chi has stabilized,” one of the healers warned Mako, after another water therapy session. “Unstable energy is dangerous for all of the arts, but firebending has the most potentially lethal results. Are you able to generate lightning, normally?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Mako admitted, after a gentle elbow nudge from Bolin. </p>
<p>“Don’t even <em> think </em>about using it until you’re confident your regular firebending is back to full strength,” the healer warned, with a sharp jab of one finger. “It’s an extremely difficult technique that requires delicate control over energy. Attempting it with imbalanced chi will lead to explosive results. Literally.”</p>
<p>Mako looked a little ill at the thought. Bolin’s stomach turned just trying to imagine it. He’d seen Mako create lightning a few times while on the streets, usually for mundane things; Mako would never try to hurt anyone with such a dangerous technique, not unless he was protecting them. But even those low-level blasts had been full of a frightening kind of raw power. The thought of it blowing up in Mako’s face, especially when he already wasn’t feeling well, was too awful to think about. </p>
<p>“He’ll be careful,” Bolin promised. “I’ll make sure.”</p>
<p>Mako didn’t even argue against that.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It took just over a week of healing sessions and regular care, but in the end, Mako was finally pronounced good enough to be discharged. </p>
<p>Bolin was delighted with the announcement, and privately more than a little relieved. The hospital bills had been straining even their borrowed funds, and he wasn’t sure how much longer they would last. He had been adamant about Mako staying as long as needed to feel better, because he had to make sure his brother <em> was </em>taken care of, with such a dangerous injury. But that didn’t make it an easy decision, and Bolin understood his brother’s anxious mental coin-counting better than Mako probably realized.</p>
<p>But the loan from Toza would <em> just </em> cover the medical bills. And while it would take a long time for Bolin to earn enough to pay their coach back, at least Mako was taken care of for now. They could figure everything else out together, as long as Mako was okay. </p>
<p>Bolin headed back to the arena long enough to pick up a fresh set of clothes for Mako to come home in, and left Mako to handle signing off on his discharge papers. He returned in high spirits with the bag of clothes in hand, to find his brother absently scratching behind Pabu’s ears while the fire ferret trilled contentedly in his lap.</p>
<p>“Toza said I can take the rest of the day off to help you settle in back home,” Bolin said brightly, as he set the bag of clothes on the bed. </p>
<p>Mako frowned. “You don’t have to do that, Bo,” he said. “Especially if we owe him money. Or if you’re behind on your training. I can help with catching up—” </p>
<p>“Nuh-uh,” Bolin said, shaking his head. “What was it the healers said? Oh, that’s right, now I remember, <em> take it easy. </em> No pushing yourself too hard. And you’re not supposed to firebend right now either, so it’s not like you can do pro-bending training.” Mako did not look happy with the reminder, so Bolin added in his best younger brother wheedling tone, “Please take it easy, Mako? For me?”</p>
<p>Mako grumbled. But after a moment he grabbed the bag of fresh clothes, and said, “Fine. Let’s just get out of here for now.” </p>
<p>‘Getting out of here’ involved the healers escorting them out of the building, which was apparently protocol. It was also protocol that the patients had to be wheeled out in a wheelchair, which Mako <em> definitely </em>hated, if his irritable look and crossed arms were anything to go by. </p>
<p>At the door, Mako’s primary healer handed them a paper bag with pain medication, which Bolin immediately took and tucked away in his jacket next to a squirming Pabu. He’d have to coax Mako into having it if he was obviously hurting, since Mako was unlikely to take the stuff willingly. </p>
<p>They also handed over a cane, which Mako grudgingly accepted, and which Bolin knew would be tossed in the nearest alley the moment they were out of sight of the hospital. It was supposed to help him with walking longer distances until he had fully recovered. But it was also an obvious sign of physical weakness, and those made you a target on the streets. Not that they were on the streets anymore, but it had only been a few months, and it wasn’t an instinct Mako was going to lose quickly. </p>
<p>Especially if the Triads were still out there targeting him. </p>
<p>Bolin suppressed a shudder. The metalbenders had stopped by to question Mako once he’d woken up, but they hadn’t gotten any leads on the Triad members who had attacked his brother yet. The police had come to the same conclusion as Bolin, that the culprits were Triple Threats, but they hadn’t managed to catch them. That meant they were still out there, and they could still attack Mako at his weakest. </p>
<p><em> I won’t let that happen, </em> Bolin told himself nervously. <em> I’ll be with him the whole way home. If they do try to attack him again, I can earthbend and protect him.  </em></p>
<p>But Bolin wasn’t fooling himself. If there was a confrontation, it was going to end badly. Bolin was no slouch in a fight, but Mako had always been a better street brawler than him, and the Triad had nearly killed his brother at his best. Now Mako was too weak to defend himself, and he couldn’t even firebend right now without potentially hurting himself. Bolin would do his best to protect his brother, if it came to that, but for both their sakes he <em> really </em>hoped it didn’t. </p>
<p>They walked out the front doors of the hospital to early afternoon sunlight. And despite the fact that Mako obviously <em> itched </em> to get away from there, he still paused in the front walkway to turn his face to the sun, close his eyes, and breathe deep. Firebenders <em> needed </em>sun, and while Mako’s hospital room did have a tiny window, it had faced north and hadn’t been great for sunlight. </p>
<p>Bolin let him bask for a few minutes, and watched at least a little of the tension slip from his brother’s shoulders. He never felt the connection to the sun the way Mako did. But while they did share Fire Nation blood, Bolin <em> was </em> an earthbender, so that made sense. </p>
<p>They’d talked about it before on the streets, trying to understand the other’s bending. Bolin knew the sun for Mako was like being on the ground level of the city for Bolin, as close to the earth as he could ever get—solid, comforting and <em> connected </em>to something much bigger than himself. After the two weeks Mako had struggled through, he deserved a few moments of peace and sunlight.</p>
<p>But eventually his brother opened his eyes and started forward confidently on his own, without any further prompting. Bolin followed after, while Pabu slipped out of his jacket onto his shoulders, squeaking contentedly after being stuck indoors with Mako for almost two weeks. </p>
<p>Yugoda Memorial was half an hour’s run from the arena they call home, and maybe an hour’s leisurely walk. It was less by satomobile or trolley, but they didn’t have the extra cash to spend on a taxi service or tickets, and Mako was adamant about saving where they could. So they walked.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a bad walk. Bolin had made it almost every day since Mako had been put in the hospital. Yugoda Memorial was in a safe part of the city, and so was the arena, and most of the areas in between were populated or regularly patrolled by metalbenders. It meant a Triad attack was less likely, since they wouldn’t want to try something when metalbenders could show up almost as soon as they started. </p>
<p>But it was a <em> long </em>walk, and Mako was still recovering. He didn’t need to be monitored by the waterbender healers anymore, which was why they let him go, but too much activity did still tire him out. </p>
<p>Bolin let Mako set the pace. But even walking slower than usual, after fifteen minutes, he could tell his older brother was starting to tire. After half an hour, his pace was even slower, his movements stiffer, and there was a tightness around his eyes that meant he was definitely in pain and didn’t want to admit to it.</p>
<p>“Do you want to take a break?” Bolin asked, frowning.</p>
<p>“No,” Mako said. “I’m fine. I just want to be home already.” </p>
<p>Bolin could understand that, at least. <em> Home </em> was safe. <em> Home </em>was out of the view of the public and the Triads, and a place where Mako could settle down and lick his wounds in peace. Once he felt safe, Mako would probably be more willing to take care of himself.</p>
<p>So they kept walking. But after another ten minutes, Bolin regretted not pushing his brother harder to take a break. They weren’t even halfway home, but Mako was clearly suffering and too stubborn to say anything about it. His pace was slower than a sea slug’s, and the tightness around his eyes had grown worse. His steps were stiff and shaky, and he was definitely short of breath again, but doing his best to hide it. And Bolin had a feeling the thin sheen of sweat on his forehead wasn’t because of the warm summer day as much as it was due to overworking himself.</p>
<p>The problem was that his brother was never going to admit he needed to take it slower, Bolin knew.</p>
<p>Although Mako was a firebender, and physically he resembled a lot of people from the Fire Nation, Bolin always privately thought to himself that his brother took more after his Earth Kingdom heritage in personality. He always waited and listened, and thought plans through instead of rushing in. He sometimes had a temper, but he’d always been good at keeping it in check, most of the time. And ever since their parents died, Mako had been a solid, steady, reliable rock for Bolin, a constant presence that he could turn to just as surely as the earth beneath his feet for protection and support. </p>
<p>But if there was one thing Mako had in common with his Fire Nation heritage, it was his pride. Because Bolin was pretty sure that Mako would rather <em> actually </em>die than ever ask for help, or to admit that he might need it, even when pressed. And when combined with Earth Kingdom stubbornness, it was almost impossible to get Mako to take care of himself properly in the few instances he actually needed it.</p>
<p>The trick, Bolin had learned a long time ago, was to find a way to let his brother save face while protecting his dumb pride. Mako would rather die than admit he needed help, and he hated looking like a fool. But he wouldn’t hesitate to change what he was doing if he thought <em> Bolin </em>needed it. Bolin thought the difference was kind of silly and a little annoying, sometimes, but that didn’t mean he was above using that to his advantage to look out for his brother.</p>
<p>So the next time they passed an artful little stone bench on the side of the street, half in and half out of the shade, Bolin flopped down on the shady side with a theatrical groan. “Aaah, <em> that’s </em>the stuff.”</p>
<p>Mako frowned down at him. “What are you doing? We’re heading home.”</p>
<p>Bolin honestly didn’t think Mako would make it home at this rate. They weren’t even halfway there, but Mako was obviously hurting from the way he carried himself, and he couldn’t hide the way his breathing was too fast and shallow. </p>
<p>But Bolin didn’t mention any of that. Instead he said, “I know, but I’m <em> tired. </em>I’ve been running around like a headless chicken-duck for days. I can’t even remember the last time I just sat. And this is a pretty view.” He gestured to Yue Bay in the distance. “Can we take a little break? Please?”</p>
<p>As Bolin had anticipated, making it about himself immediately appealed to Mako’s older brother instincts. “Alright,” Mako agreed after a moment. “But only because Toza gave you the day off, so we don’t need to hurry back just yet.” He shuffled over to the bench, and lowered himself with painstaking slowness and a soft groan onto the warm, sunlit stone. After a moment or two he raised his arms to rest on the back of the bench, outstretched to either side, tipped his head back to the sun again, and closed his eyes.</p>
<p>It was the most vulnerable Bolin had ever seen Mako be willingly out in public, and he knew it was because Mako trusted him to watch his back. It wasn’t the first time Bolin had been trusted to do so; they had guarded each others’ backs constantly while on the streets. But it was the first time Mako had put so much faith in Bolin while he was so weak, and that was both humbling and encouraging at the same time. </p>
<p>So he let Mako sit for as long as his brother felt comfortable doing so, while Bolin watched the people go by and kept an eye out for any Triple Threat thugs he might recognize. He didn’t see any threats, but he was relieved when Mako’s limbs stopped trembling after a little while, and the tightness around his eyes gradually receded. Eventually his brother’s breathing changed from shallow and short to deeper and more controlled, which he recognized as Mako’s breath and meditation exercises. </p>
<p>That was <em> technically </em>firebending, which wasn’t allowed. But the healers had said the meditation stuff was okay, since it would help clear up Mako’s chi imbalance faster and fix up his bending. Bolin didn’t say anything about it.</p>
<p>Mako eventually opened his eyes and leaned forward with a sigh, but only after fifteen minutes of peacefully sitting and breathing. “We should get going,” he said, moving his arms from the back of the bench.</p>
<p>Fifteen minutes was a lot longer than Bolin figured Mako would be willing to wait, and his brother looked a lot better now. So Bolin bounced to his feet, and held out a hand to his brother. “I <em> guess,” </em>he said. “For a little bit, anyway.”</p>
<p>Mako took his hand and allowed Bolin to pull him upright, concealing the tiniest groan of discomfort as he did. “A little bit? If we have it your way it’s going to take us all day to get back, Bo,” he complained, but his expression was good natured.</p>
<p>“Well, it’s not like we’re in a rush, right?” </p>
<p>“I suppose,” Mako admitted. The thought looked like it genuinely surprised him, and <em> that </em> didn’t surprise Bolin at all. Mako was always pushing forward to the next necessary thing, be it jobs or training or earning their keep. There was always something to hurry off to and take care of, and he was never the kind of person to just <em> sit.  </em></p>
<p>Bolin let Mako set the pace again, and the rest had clearly done his brother a little good. He was slightly faster than he had been, for a little while, at least. But Bolin kept a sharp eye on him, and wheedled him into sitting and resting two more times on the way, when his brother was definitely starting to wear himself out again. </p>
<p>If Mako caught on to Bolin’s strategy, he didn’t say anything, and Bolin doubted he ever would. That was fine with Bolin, as long as Mako rested at all. </p>
<p>In the end it took the better part of two hours for them to get back to the arena. By the time they managed it Mako clearly needed another rest, and the hard part wasn’t even over yet. The staircase up to their apartment was tall, and had a lot of steps to navigate. It could be difficult to make it to the top even when fully fit, after a long pro-bending training session. Bolin was actually a little afraid his brother wouldn’t make the climb at all in his current state, not without another chance to sit and get his breath back. </p>
<p>Thankfully, whether he meant to or not, Toza came to the rescue. He caught sight of Bolin and Mako entering the arena, and gruffly stomped over to greet them and ask Mako how he was doing. Mako’s answers were full of promises that he was completely okay and there was nothing to worry about, that he’d be back on his feet and earning his keep again soon. It seemed like a pretty obvious lie from where Bolin was standing. Based on Toza’s scowling face, their pro-bending coach didn’t believe it either. </p>
<p>But it <em> did </em>give Mako a chance to sit down on one of the chairs in the gym and catch his breath while he answered. By the time Toza finally excused himself to get back to work, Bolin figured his brother was as ready as he ever would be for the climb.</p>
<p>“Ready to head home?” Bolin asked, with as winning a smile as he could manage, offering his brother his hand again.</p>
<p>“Yes,” Mako said. Even with the rest, his voice was slightly strained. It was obvious he was reaching his limit, both physically and mentally. He allowed Bolin to help haul himself to his feet, swayed in place for a moment, and placed his hand against the wall for balance.</p>
<p>Bolin frowned. “You okay?”</p>
<p>“Just a little dizzy,” Mako said. </p>
<p>“Are you gonna be able to do the stairs?” Bolin asked, worried. “I could probably carry—”</p>
<p>“I’ve got it,” Mako answered. “They’re just stairs.” </p>
<p>“We could rest down here a little longer—”</p>
<p>“I really just want to lay down, Bo,” Mako admitted. “They’re just stairs. I can handle it.”</p>
<p>The admission that he wanted to rest was telling enough, as far as Bolin was concerned. The faster he got upstairs and felt safe and relaxed enough to actually sleep, the faster he would get better. “Alright, but be careful. And let me know if you get too dizzy. Or if you want a break. Or—”</p>
<p>“Bolin,” Mako said, exasperated. “I’ve got it.”</p>
<p>“Right. Yeah. Okay.”</p>
<p>Despite Mako insisting he could handle it, Bolin made sure he followed after his brother on the stairs. Just in case. The last thing he needed was for his brother to get dizzy, misstep, and come crashing down the height of the arena. If it didn’t kill him, it would <em> definitely </em>put him back in the hospital. Bolin would be sturdy enough to catch him if he did slip...at least, he hoped.</p>
<p>It didn’t come to that, but the stairs were still a nightmare even so. Bolin didn’t need earth sense to know his brother was trembling like a leaf by the time he stumbled up the last of the steps to the wooden floor of their apartment, and there was no hiding his harsh, shallow panting as he struggled for breath. He staggered over to the couch, nearly tripping on the low table in front of it, and collapsed onto the cushions in a heap.</p>
<p>Bolin bit his lip. Mako would probably be more comfortable in his own cot, but their beds were up in the loft, and Bolin highly doubted his brother could navigate the ladders with the state he was in. The couch would probably be his bed for the future, until he was feeling better. </p>
<p>“You wait there,” Bolin said. “I’ll go get your pillow and a blanket.”</p>
<p>Mako’s only answer was a noncommittal groan into the couch cushions.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for Bolin to scurry up to the loft and snatch Mako’s pillow and blanket from his cot, leaving Pabu to supervise his brother. In that time, Mako had managed to shrug out of his jacket and scarf and kick off his boots, discarding them in an uncharacteristic messy pile next to the couch. He gratefully accepted the pillow, but seemed to struggle to find a comfortable position to lay down in, wincing every time he moved.</p>
<p>Bolin worried the blanket still in his hands nervously. “Are you hurting?” he asked. “I can get you some of that medicine they gave us.”</p>
<p>Mako frowned. “I don’t need it,” he said after a moment. “I’ll be fine. Just give me a minute.” But the harsh rasp in his voice suggested otherwise, as did the way his brows furrowed in obvious pain. </p>
<p>“I’m getting you some medicine,” Bolin said insistently. Then, more coaxing, “C’mon, it’ll help you get comfortable so you can sleep and feel better. And it’s already paid for, so it’s not like it’s wasting our money. If it gets you on your feet faster, that’s worth it, right?”</p>
<p>Mako was silent for a long moment, considering. Then, finally, he said, “Alright.” </p>
<p>That alone was <em> more </em>than enough admission to Bolin that his brother was really hurting. Admitting he needed any kind of medicine was the same as admitting he needed help, as far as Mako was concerned. And it didn’t help that medicines were usually expensive, which just gave Mako more of a reason to dislike them on principle. </p>
<p>Fortunately, it didn’t take long to get the medication ready. The healer had given them packets of herbs that could be dissolved in hot water like a tea, and were supposed to help with pain, dizziness, and fatigue. Bolin followed the instructions in the bag very carefully to be sure he got it right, but it wasn’t difficult. The hardest part was having to go back downstairs to get hot water. Mako normally sustained their fires on their cooking unit, since the pilot light was finicky, but since he wasn’t supposed to be firebending Bolin needed a different way to boil water. He made a mental note to buy some matches the next chance he got.</p>
<p>Once the medicinal tea was ready, Bolin had to help Mako sit up long enough to drink it. By then, Mako was obviously in a world of pain; he’d pushed himself too much, too fast with the walk home and the stairs, even with the regular breaks. His whole body shook when Bolin put an arm around his shoulders to help him sit up, his eyes were slitted nearly shut against what must have been awful dizziness, and his breaths were shallow and harsh. But there was raw determination in the way he took the cup from Bolin and drank it down, and he managed to keep his hands from shaking so much he spilled anything.  </p>
<p>Whatever the healers had given them, Bolin would say one thing for it: it acted <em> fast. </em>It only took a few minutes for the tension in Mako's shoulders to melt away, and his eyelids started to flutter shut with exhaustion. Bolin snatched the cup from his hands before Mako dropped it, and set it on the low table nearby, where Pabu promptly stuck his nose in it to investigate. Ignoring his pet’s antics, Bolin carefully settled Mako back against the couch, slid the pillow behind his brother’s head, and gently tucked the blanket around him. Mako was out like a light before Bolin even finished, his short, harsh breaths evening out as he faded into sleep. </p>
<p>Bolin let out a weary, tired sigh of his own, but then patted his brother gently on the shoulder. “Just take it easy, Mako,” he said softly, so as not to wake him. “I promise—for a little while, I can handle everything.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>For a little while, Bolin </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>handle everything. Or at least, he did his best to. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin would be the first to admit he wasn’t an expert with any of this. Mako had always been the one taking care of them; Bolin had always followed his brother’s lead. Even when he’d managed to scrape by on the hospital bills, largely thanks to the generous loan from Toza, he knew he still wasn’t as savvy with figuring out their savings or their next steps as his older brother was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he was willing to follow Mako’s suggestions still, when it came to keeping them both going another day. Of course, that was assuming Bolin was still the one actually taking care of things for now, even if Mako called the shots. Mako could be in charge, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>supposed to be taking it easy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The problem was, Mako was not very good at taking it easy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The fact of the matter was, his brother was just an awful patient. And it wasn’t even because he whined too much about feeling bad, or tried to use it to get attention. If anything, Mako didn’t whine </span>
  <em>
    <span>enough. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He treated illness and injury like stubbing a toe or a one-off sneeze—as if it was a mild inconvenience he should be able to work through. If sickness or wounds were enough to knock him down, he took it as a personal offense. And he hated the imagined implication that he was so weak he had to waste time on things like ‘taking a break to recover,’ or that his personal comfort actually mattered when his and Bolin’s financial security was at stake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin had never really understood how his brother could be </span>
  <em>
    <span>more comfortable </span>
  </em>
  <span>while working when </span>
  <em>
    <span>uncomfortable, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but that was Mako for you. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d had once heard Shady Shin describe the best thugs and Triad members like tiger-sharks: they never slowed down, always hunting for the next meal, and the ones that stopped moving died. Bolin had never seen a tiger-shark, but if his brother was any kind of animal it was that one, because he took to that philosophy on the streets like he was made for it. Bolin didn’t think his brother had ever stopped moving since they lost their parents, hunting for their next meal or yuans or warm place to sleep for the night. And now that he was forced to, Mako didn’t seem to know what to do with himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So he tried to do what he always did. Except what he always did was work, or train, and that didn’t go great with recovering from being shot by lightning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin nearly shrieked, after heading back upstairs to their apartment at the end of Mako’s first day back, to find his brother running through a series of practice pro-bending jabs and thrusts. They were half-speed strikes, and thankfully not accompanied by bursts of fire, but the fact that he was working himself hard at all was a bad thing. “This isn’t taking it easy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They told me to exercise,” Mako countered, with another sharp jab. The strike was painfully slow compared to Mako’s usual speed and agility, and caused him to sway on his feet.</span>
</p>
<p><em><span>“Light </span></em><span>exercise, Mako,” Bolin insisted, hastily rushing forward to catch his brother by the shoulder before he risked collapsing. “Basic stretches and walking, not </span><em><span>pro-bending workouts. </span></em><span>Most people can’t even do</span> <span>pro-bending workouts when they’re totally healthy!”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve already fallen behind too far as it is,” Mako said. “Two weeks without training and I can barely move.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, you can barely move because you were </span>
  <em>
    <span>struck by lightning, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mako,” Bolin said, incredulous. “You know. Lightning? That thing that </span>
  <em>
    <span>kills </span>
  </em>
  <span>most people, when they get hit by it? Whether or not it comes from the sky, or a firebender? Even </span>
  <em>
    <span>Avatar Aang </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lord Zuko </span>
  </em>
  <span>almost died when they got shot by lightning, and they’re like, amazing! I think you’re allowed to be a little slow for a while!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not if it costs us our chance at the pro-bending winnings,” Mako insisted stubbornly. “I need to catch back up to where I was, before I set us back so far we can’t join the next season.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mako, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin all but begged. “If you pass out and crack your head open or break a bone ‘cause you’re working too hard you have to go back to the hospital. And then our pro bending winnings for the next </span>
  <em>
    <span>three </span>
  </em>
  <span>seasons will have to go towards </span>
  <em>
    <span>those </span>
  </em>
  <span>bills, once you’re able to actually practice, and you’d still be behind </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyway</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You’re already awesome at the drills Toza gave you. You’ll catch up just fine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Once you’re better.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako hesitated. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not in this alone, remember,” Bolin added, softer, but no less insistent. “We’re in this together. It doesn’t all have to be on you, Mako. Please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako sighed. “Alright. I guess I’m done anyway.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin knew it was only a tiny victory for that day, but he took it in stride anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t the last time Mako pushed himself harder than he should have for the sake of their future. While he did cut back on pro-bending training exercises—at least while Bolin was around—he did still push himself too hard with even the </span>
  <em>
    <span>light </span>
  </em>
  <span>exercise. Bolin found him stuck downstairs at least once in the first few days after his return, having walked laps around the arena until he wore himself out too much to handle the tall stairs back to their apartment. And it wasn’t uncommon for Bolin to check on his brother between chores, to find Mako collapsed on the couch, in obvious pain from overwork and yet too stubborn to try the painkillers again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hate that stuff,” Mako grumbled, when Bolin inevitably brewed up a new cup of the medicinal tea and pointedly waved it in his face until he took it. “I don’t like how groggy it makes me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s kind of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>point, </span>
  </em>
  <span>bro,” Bolin said, nudging the warm cup against Mako’s shoulder again insistently. “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to make you feel better and let you rest for a bit. Y’know, since you’re recovering? And recovering people who got hit by lightning are supposed to take it easy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako gave him a baleful look. Bolin was unimpressed by it. The ‘aloof firebender glare’ might have worked on street thugs, but he knew his brother too well for that. There was no heat behind that glower, literally or figuratively, and Mako would never dream of hurting him anyway. He poked his brother carefully with the full cup of tea again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Mako,” Bolin wheedled. “I know you’re hurting, you can’t fool me. It’s totally safe here, you can be a little groggy for a while. And if you hate the medicine so much, maybe you should try to </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>push yourself so hard you overdo it and hurt yourself, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That one definitely struck a nerve, to judge from the way Mako’s eyebrow twitched. But he grudgingly sat up long enough to take the cup and down its contents, and was out like a light a few minutes later. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After that conversation, Mako pushed himself just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>less hard. It was obviously killing him inside to slow down, but it must have still felt like a better alternative than staying in a drug-induced stupor for days. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin took the victory for what it was.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>In other ways, there was just no avoiding Mako being involved. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He checked in almost daily on their financial situation, regardless of if anything had changed. He would tally the yuans with a shaking, weakened hand on a scrap piece of paper, and press Bolin for the details: the size of the loan from Toza (big), how much Bolin had worked off so far (not much), the plans for earning future money (there weren’t many), and the state of their other expenses, like rent and food (scraping by just barely, but only </span>
  <em>
    <span>just). </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin wished he could ease his brother’s anxiety regarding their finances, but the situation was a little worrisome. He’d worked out a long term plan with Toza for doing extra chores around the arena until the loan was paid off, so it could be done...</span>
  <em>
    <span>eventually. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But until then it meant the arena effectively owned them, in practice if not on paper. And while Toza wasn’t the kind of guy that would abuse that power, Butakha might. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toza had been the one to convince the owner of the arena to rent to Mako and Bolin to begin with. Butakha had agreed to give the space to a pair of street urchins, but less out of kindness than for publicity. A pair of ‘fabulous bending brothers’ from the school of hard knocks made an attractive backstory for an underdog rookie team that would keep fans paying for tickets. Giving them a place to live looked good for the papers...or would, once Mako and Bolin actually had a team. Butakha was still serious about getting his rent money though, good press or not, and if he caught word of Toza’s loan, he might not be above using it to his advantage to control them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako didn’t want them to be in debt any longer than they had to be. That meant finding other ways to make money, besides working it off slowly with Toza. Bolin understood, but he really wasn’t sure how to go about doing that. Mako was the one good at finding jobs, and while Bolin was willing to put in the hours to help—that was how this all started to begin with—he didn’t really know how to get started. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe he could train Pabu to do circus tricks? People liked cute, smart animals. People would pay good money for that, he was sure. He made a mental note to start working with his pet fire ferret in his spare time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But until then, with Mako forced to take it easy and Bolin without any ideas to make their financial troubles easier, things would be scary. Not ‘in danger of going back to living on the streets’ scary, but scary in a penny-pinching ‘we’re not as okay as we thought’ sort of way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It meant Bolin peeking over the edge of the loft in the middle of the night more than once, to spot Mako studying the talley sheet of yuans, by the light of a candle that he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>lit with his firebending when he wasn’t supposed to. It meant tired, guilt-flooded looks when Mako thought Bolin wasn’t watching, and frustrated mutterings about how they’d just gotten out of danger and he’d put them back in it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go back t’sleep, Mako,” Bolin intervened sleepily on one of those nights, when he couldn’t stand to watch his brother beat himself up over their misfortune anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako’s expression went from frustrated and guilty and furious with himself, to smoothed over and calm, in the space of a heartbeat. “Sorry,” he said, glancing up at the loft from his temporary couch-bed. “Did the light wake you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, yeah, because you’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>supposed to be firebending,” Bolin said with a scowl, “But that’s not what I meant. Go to bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wasn’t tired,” Mako said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was a blatant lie, since Mako refused to meet his eyes, but Bolin didn’t call him on it. “You should try. Did you want some of the tea to help?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, the numbers will still be the same in a couple hours,” Bolin said. “So try to sleep. It might help you come up with some ideas.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d have more ideas if I could actually do something productive to change the numbers,” Mako muttered, tossing the talley sheet on the table in disgust. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin knew his brother felt useless right now. He knew that because he knew a fair bit about feeling useless himself. Mako had always taken care of everything; Bolin never really contributed. So he </span>
  <em>
    <span>understood </span>
  </em>
  <span>how Mako felt. But there was no way Mako could work even a non-bender job right now, in his state, and firebending jobs were absolutely out of the question. All he could do was count their finances, again and again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Well, that and one other thing. Because no matter how hard Mako might be on Bolin sometimes, for wasting money or making stupid mistakes, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>hardest on himself. Like he always thought he had to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>better, </span>
  </em>
  <span>even when he was already the best. And when he couldn’t be, he got angry at himself for it, like letting himself fail at anything was a crime.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin swallowed. Pabu, roused from Bolin’s pillow by the unexpected late night activity, squeaked groggily and crawled into his lap for a scratch behind the years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You...you know it’s not your fault, right, Mako?” Bolin asked, after a long moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako snorted. His face was still a mask of calm, but Bolin knew his brother well enough to hear the bitterness in his voice. “Yeah? I didn’t see you taking a two-week stay in the hospital, Bolin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not...you didn’t do that on </span>
  <em>
    <span>purpose,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin said, very softly. He picked Pabu out of his lap and held the sleepy fire ferret close for comfort. “People tried to </span>
  <em>
    <span>kill </span>
  </em>
  <span>you. That’s not your fault.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The intent doesn’t change the numbers,” Mako said. “Don’t worry about it, Bolin. I’ll figure something out. I always do.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know you will,” Bolin said. “I just...want to be sure you know you didn’t mess anything up for us. I’d rather be in debt for the rest of my life, if it meant I still had my brother.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako was silent.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean that,” Bolin said, insistent. “I’ll scrub toilets here until I’m old and wrinkly to pay Toza’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>grandkids </span>
  </em>
  <span>off if I have to. It was worth it, because you’re alive, even if somebody </span>
  <em>
    <span>else </span>
  </em>
  <span>tried really hard to make you </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>alive. That’s on them, not you. We’ll be okay and get through all of it, as long as we’ve got each other.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was hard to see in the darkness, but after a moment, Bolin was sure he saw his brother crack the faintest ghost of a smile by candlelight. “Thanks, Bo.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin grinned. “You got it. Now, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>go to sleep? Pabu, go keep Mako company. Maybe he just needs a soft, fuzzy friend to cuddle with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako scowled. “I don’t—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Pabu had already leapt lightly down the ladder and scuttled over to the firebender, snaking his way up the couch and around Mako’s shoulders. Bolin grinned wider. Mako sighed, but grudgingly settled back on the couch, bearing Pabu’s readjustment from his shoulders to curling up on his chest with as much dignity as he could muster. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“G’night, bro,” Bolin said sweetly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good night.” Mako’s answer was somewhat muffled by half of a fire ferret’s fluffy tail in his face. He waved his hand absently at the candle, which snuffed out immediately from two feet away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin scowled at him in the darkness. “And </span>
  <em>
    <span>no firebending!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I was just putting it </span>
  <em>
    <span>out!” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nights after that weren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mako still worried over the finances; it wasn’t in his nature not to. He’d been intensely focused on earning them enough money to eat, buy warm clothes, and find shelter since he was eight, and that wasn’t going to go away because of one heartfelt talk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he did better. At least a little. There wasn’t as much guilt in his eyes, or as much self-disgust when he thought Bolin wasn’t looking. He slept more often at night, and didn’t spend every evening driving himself into a frenzy over things he couldn’t change.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t perfect. But it was better. And that was all Bolin could hope for.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>After those terrifying five days waiting to see if Mako would ever wake up, Mako’s recovery hadn’t been </span>
  <em>
    <span>frightening </span>
  </em>
  <span>for Bolin</span>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Frustrating, yes, when Mako pushed himself too hard, too fast, and caused himself unnecessary pain or strain when he should have been taking it easy. Exasperating, certainly, whenever Bolin caught his brother doing mundane firebending to cook or light the lamps, and he had to remind him for the five hundredth time to </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>do that or he’d make himself sick. Anxiety-inducing, definitely, between wondering about their money troubles and worrying over his brother with every spare second. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But not </span>
  <em>
    <span>frightening, </span>
  </em>
  <span>after those first awful days. Because Bolin knew his brother was alive, and safe, and awake, and everything else they could work through one step at a time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not frightening, until it was, a few weeks after Mako came home. Not until Bolin trudged up the stairs after a long day of scrubbing the pro-bending playing field clean, clearing the disc chutes and sanding rust off the water tanks, to find their apartment empty.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t the first time since Mako had returned that he’d left the apartment, so at first Bolin didn’t panic </span>
  <em>
    <span>too </span>
  </em>
  <span>much. After a few weeks, Mako still wasn’t back to his former strength, but he was stronger; strong enough to head downstairs and use the gym for lighter exercise, or walk laps around the building. Bolin didn’t begrudge him that. His brother really </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been trying, no matter how terrible a patient he was, but he also knew Mako was going stir crazy sitting around in the apartment all day. A change of scenery wasn’t a bad thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it did make Bolin nervous, just a little. He knew it was stupid and unfair and a little pathetic, but the last time he’d come home and Mako hadn’t been there, it was because he’d nearly been killed in the streets. And he couldn’t quite shake that nervous feeling that maybe, just maybe, Mako was hurt or dying, and Bolin wasn’t there to help him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He told himself he was being stupid. Mako was probably just downstairs, like he had always been so far. Bolin hadn’t seen him on the way back, but the arena was huge, and it was entirely possible to miss his brother by accident.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Pabu is with him,” Bolin told himself reassuringly. “So if something happened, Pabu would for </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>come back and let me know.” He’d taken to leaving his fire ferret with his brother, just in case Mako </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>need him for something. Pabu was a poor man’s messenger hawk, but he was smart enough to find either brother and deliver rolled up notes if he needed to. Not that Mako ever asked for anything, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but it made Bolin feel better to know there was another pair of eyes watching out for his brother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not that a fire ferret would be much help if the Triple Threats attacked again…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin swallowed. It had been weeks, and he checked in at the nearest station every few days, but the culprits that had attacked his brother still hadn’t been found. Mako had been interviewed by the police while still in the hospital, but while he could give an accurate description of at least two of the thugs who had attacked him, none of them had been seen recently. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made Bolin nervous. He’d brought it up with his brother, and had asked exactly what had happened, but Mako had been cagey with the details. “Don’t worry about it,” he’d said. “It’s over and done with. They probably went to ground to let the heat die down. Attempted murder doesn’t look great on a rap sheet.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Which was all well and good, until the heat </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>die down, and what would happen then? They’d wanted Mako dead before. What was to stop them from trying again? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin headed back downstairs nervously. “It’s fine,” he told himself out loud. “It’s totally fine. Mako’s just...taking a walk. That’s it.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had to be. The Triple Threats were bold enough to hassle people in public, but they wouldn’t dare muscle their way into a well-known place like the arena, especially when it had its own security. Mako was </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely </span>
  </em>
  <span>safe here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But when Bolin checked the gyms, the arena, the back hallways, the lobby, and even the bathrooms, he found no sign of his brother. He asked the staff members he found here and there if they’d seen his brother recently, but nobody else had seen Mako for hours. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And that was when Bolin </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>began to panic. Because Mako was safe as long as he was in the arena. But if he left it…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He burst out the front doors, agitated and frantic. The early crowd was just starting to show up for tonight’s games to try and claim the best seats, but there weren’t too many faces to look through, and it didn’t take long for Bolin to realize none of them were his brother. He ignored their bemused looks as he pushed through them down the steps, offering distracted “Sorry, sirs” and “Excuse me, ma’ams” as he did. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where could Mako </span>
  <em>
    <span>be? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His first instinct was to check the street Mako had been attacked on last. That didn’t really make sense, but Bolin was too scared to think it all the way through, and ran the few blocks to the attack site so fast it would make an airbender jealous. But there was nothing there. The damage from weeks ago had been smoothed out by the city’s earthbenders, and the blood washed away. The scattered possessions had been returned to the brothers in a box by a bored metalbender cop while Mako was still in the hospital. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a way, that was a relief. Bolin had dreaded coming back to this street since the accident, but it looked far less intimidating with all the damage cleared away and the metalbender blockades gone. But it still didn’t explain where his brother was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin turned on his heel and ran back towards the arena. Maybe one of the waiting patrons had seen his brother, or could give him some kind of clue about what direction he’d gone in. Or if he was alone. Mako didn’t have any friends that Bolin knew of, but if the Triple Threats caught him off guard while he was outside, they could walk him right off to a less public place to finish him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Please, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bolin begged the universe. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Please let him not have been taken. Please please please please—</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was so distracted pleading to whatever god or spirit out there that might be willing to listen to a street urchin that he slammed right into someone as he took the corner in a rush. There was an indignant, familiar squeak of an animal, and then Mako said, “Bolin?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin blinked. There was his brother, with Pabu curled over his shoulders, one arm against the corner of the nearest building to steady himself from the impact. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>whoever you are!” Bolin yelped. He caught his brother up in a fierce platypus-bear hug, not caring at all if the nearby arena crowds were watching, and lifted him clean off of his feet. “Thank you thank you thank you—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bolin!” Mako gasped, with a ragged cough. “Air!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right! Right. Sorry.” He set his brother down on the ground again, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder when Mako staggered, and smiled at him weakly in relief. “I was just really scared, I’m so glad you’re alive—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why wouldn’t I be?” Mako asked, frowning. “I’m fine, Bo, I just took a walk downtown to hunt for job listings—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin gave him an incredulous look. “But you’re not better yet. You can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>work </span>
  </em>
  <span>yet. You promised you’d take it easy!” Mako had given him a heart attack for </span>
  <em>
    <span>this? </span>
  </em>
  <span>His relief didn’t diminish, but anger and frustration </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>join it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He suddenly had a much better appreciation for Mako’s own angry lectures back in the day. He would leave Bolin in an alley or at the park while hunting for work or food, and Bolin often wandered away from his assigned safe space to play or explore. Mako had always been furious at him when he returned, and didn’t hesitate to tell him so. Back then, Bolin had been annoyed with his brother for being stuck up, bossy, and no fun. Now, he had a sudden understanding of how </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrifying </span>
  </em>
  <span>it must have been for Mako to come back after a long day and find his brother gone, with no way of knowing if he was safe or alive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wasn’t looking for me,” Mako said. The admission comes through grit teeth, like he hated even the suggestion that he wasn’t capable of handling their situation on his own. “I was trying to find something you could do. I didn’t want you to have to work, and I’ll handle it myself as soon as I can, I promise. But until then...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” Bolin swallowed. That made sense. Bolin had </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried </span>
  </em>
  <span>to find jobs he could take on around the city in his spare time, but he hadn’t had much luck so far. Earthbenders were frequently in demand for construction and repairs, but he wasn’t old enough for most of those jobs, and they didn’t believe him if he said he was eighteen. Mako had a knack for squirrelling out job leads, though. While he usually hunted down paying work for firebenders, he could probably find something for an earthbender too if he tried. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn’t in trouble. He wasn’t being led off by Triad members to his own execution, or bleeding out in the streets. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>have been. He’d been out there for at least a few hours. Downtown was reasonably safe, but if the Triple Threats had wanted to get to Mako, they could have. He would have been unprotected and there would have been nothing Bolin could do about it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bo?” Mako frowned at him. “You okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin blinked at him again, and Pabu leapt from Mako’s shoulders to his, nuzzling against one cheek. He lifted one hand to stroke Pabu’s long tail absently, while studying his brother. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked </span>
  </em>
  <span>fine. Well, no, actually, he didn’t, now that Bolin thought about it. He didn’t look beat up, but his brother’s skin was a shade paler than it should have been. And Bolin could </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>make out the faint tremors of muscle weakness that meant he’d been moving too long and was starting to run out of strength. That tracked, if Mako had been out wandering the streets for hours. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Bolin said. “I’m fine. Let’s just get you upstairs. I bet you worked up an appetite, wandering around the city, right? I don’t know about you, but I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>starving.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako’s eyes narrowed, and Bolin knew the conversation wasn’t over by a long shot. Mako could sense Bolin’s unease better than a shirshu on a scent trail, and he made it his mission in life to make sure Bolin was as happy and comfortable as possible. He wouldn’t let this rest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>would </span>
  </em>
  <span>wait for the privacy of their apartment, to judge by the way he glanced over his shoulder at the pro-bending fans down the street. So he nodded, and said, “Sounds like a plan,” before turning to head back to the arena.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ten minutes later they were safely back inside their apartment. The stairs were much easier for Mako to manage now, but after a long day of pushing himself outside, they still left him winded, and he flopped onto the couch with a groan. For a moment, Bolin almost thought he’d passed out, and that maybe the conversation would end as abruptly as it started.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Mako wasn’t as easy to distract as that, and after a few minutes of catching his breath, he sat forward and fixed his gaze on his brother. “Alright, Bo. Talk to me. Why wouldn’t I be alive?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin tapped his fingers together nervously, but he knew better than to try and dodge the question. Mako didn’t fixate on things often, but if he did, he was relentless in pursuing it to the end. Better to get it over with. “It’s just...last time you went out in the city, you almost got killed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not going to happen,” Mako said immediately.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t going to happen </span>
  <em>
    <span>last </span>
  </em>
  <span>time either!” Bolin countered. “You were just supposed to be coming back from a job! And the Triple Threat guys who did it are still out there. There’s nothing stopping them from going after you again, and this time you can’t even firebend!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can bend if I need to,” Mako said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to. You heard what the healers said, your chi got all messed up last time, and that’s more important for firebenders than anybody else. You could really hurt yourself even if </span>
  <em>
    <span>they </span>
  </em>
  <span>didn’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bolin—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I wasn’t there to help you </span>
  <em>
    <span>last </span>
  </em>
  <span>time because I didn’t even know you were in trouble, and you almost died,” Bolin continued, anxiously tapping his fingers together even faster. “And you got </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>lucky, all the healers said so, they said you should have been dead and if you </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>died I never would have been able to say I was sorry first, and I was so scared I was going to lose you, and it wouldn’t have been fair, right after we got off the streets—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Bo—” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“—and then you disappeared </span>
  <em>
    <span>again </span>
  </em>
  <span>today and I couldn’t find you </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I realized you were out in the city and I was so scared because what if it happened again? And you can’t even protect yourself this time, you’re still </span>
  <em>
    <span>recovering, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I should have learned better this time, I should be there to protect you this time like you protected me since we lost mom and dad, but I didn’t even think about it and if you </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>get hurt I was never gonna forgive myself—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Bolin!” </span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin jerked in surprise at Mako’s shout, and regarded his brother with wide eyes. Pabu squeaked, and slithered down from around his shoulders into his arms, where he promptly hugged the fire ferret close like a comfort toy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako sighed, but gestured to the couch. “Calm down. C’mere. Sit down with me for a minute.” Bolin did so, sitting down on the perpendicular cushions of their ‘L’ shaped second hand couch so he could still face his brother, clutching Pabu close. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright,” Mako said after a moment, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “First off, I’m sorry I scared you. I’m so used to going off on my own to find leads and do side work I didn’t even think to let you know where I was going. I know how scary that is, to come back and realize your family isn’t where you left them. I should have known better.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s alright,” Bolin said meekly, before half burying his face in Pabu’s soft fur and watching his brother over the fire ferret’s twitching ears. Pabu squirmed a little, but didn’t try to escape. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Mako said. “Second...I promised before, Bo. I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>leaving you. You can’t get rid of me that easy, and it takes a lot more than a Triad hit team to take me down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what you’ve </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>said, but you were still in the hospital for </span>
  <em>
    <span>days </span>
  </em>
  <span>without anybody knowing if you’d ever wake up,” Bolin said. “And that was when you were top of your game! If the Triple Threats came after you again—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They won’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t know that! They weren’t caught!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They won’t,” Mako said. “Bolin, think about it for a minute. You saw where I got attacked, right? You saw the injury reports from the hospital?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Bolin said, anxious. “It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mako. There was a huge blast burn in the ground from the lightning, and blood, and it took the healers two days to get rid of most of your ice shard wounds…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t anything strike you as weird about that?” Mako pressed. “Think about it, Bolin. For a Triple Threats strike team…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin furrowed his brow for a moment, thinking hard. The answer came to him unexpectedly. “There wasn’t any earthbender damage.” The Triple Threats </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>operated in teams of three—a water, earth, and firebender cell. It was where the Triad got their name. But the street hadn’t been torn up to use for ammunition at all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako smiled at him, although it was weak. “That’s my brother. Now tell me why.”</span>
</p>
<p><span>Bolin thought about it for a moment. “Redirection,” he whispered, as the answer suddenly came to him. “The healers said you survived because you redirected part of the lightning.” He never thought about it before now. The important part of redirection was supposed to be </span><em><span>surviving </span></em><span>a lightning strike. Bolin hadn’t considered for a second all that lightning had to go</span> <span>somewhere afterwards. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>Mako’s weak smile grows a little bigger. “That’s it. I dished out as much as I took, Bolin. They were trying to send a message. Doesn’t work as well when the victim fights back. I think they’ll think twice before coming at me again.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin swallowed. “Mako...what </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened </span>
  </em>
  <span>that day? You keep telling me not to worry about it, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>need to know. Please.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako considered for a long moment before finally speaking. “I was on my way back home. The strike team showed up and pulled their usual tough-guy warning hussle. They wanted to make it clear you didn’t leave the Triads without permission, and to teach me a lesson for wanting to break ties. I told’em I wasn’t a snitch, but I was done with them. I guess they didn’t like that, since they attacked.” </span>
</p>
<p><span>“With lightning?” It was a stupid question, obviously, since Mako had been hit. It still twisted Bolin’s stomach into knots. If they went straight for lightning, they were going for a fast kill—in and out before the metalbenders could show. Lightning </span><em><span>could </span></em><span>be used non-lethally, Mako had told him once, to stun instead of kill. But you had to be really</span> <span>good at it, enough to control exactly how much energy you wanted to work with.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“They tried,” Mako admitted. “Their firebender opened with it. I started redirecting it back at their earthbender before he could get a solid hit in. But their waterbender countered with ice shards halfway through the technique. I only discharged part of it at their earthbender before I lost concentration and…” He shrugs, gesturing vaguely to himself. “You know how that ended.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin swallowed again. He could imagine it clearer now—his brother, enveloped in a crackling aura of terrible power, struggling to keep it away from his heart, until ice shards pierced his neck, torso, and arms. He could almost see that moment when the deep wounds and awful pain broke Mako’s concentration, and almost heard the awful roar of thunder as that raw power wrested itself out of his control and ran rampant through his insides.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That was way too close, Mako,” Bolin said, hugging Pabu tight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not disagreeing with you. It definitely could have gone better.” Mako shook his head. “But they haven’t come at me again, or been found by the police, because they beat it out of there with their electrocuted earthbender before they could finish the job. Three on one wasn’t supposed to have casualties—Zolt will be furious at them for screwing it up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin wilted a little. “Do you really think you killed him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako hesitated, but after a moment he shook his head. “Maybe, but probably not. There was enough energy in that lightning strike to kill, but it got split between the two of us when I redirected it. If they got him to a healer right away, he’d probably be in the same situation I was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Definitely not in any position to attack Mako, then—and if his brother did as much damage as it sounded like, the other two were sure to be cautious about trying a second time. “That only accounts for those three, though,” Bolin said after a moment. “The Triple Threats have more than one hit team. What if they send more after you? What if—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy, Bo. Calm down.” Mako waved his hands in a placating, downward gesture. “They could, but I have a feeling they won’t. The Triads revolve around yuans, and this attempt cost them more than they gained.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin frowned. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, look at what Zolt got out of it,” Mako said. “A thug down, and a bender no less. Even if I didn’t kill their earthbender accidentally, that’s weeks or months of healer bills if Zolt wants this guy to keep working, or an earthbender he has to replace if he cuts him loose. That puts a whole hit team out of action either way. Plus, now there’s police interference, with the cops looking for his operatives. It cost him more than he bargained for. And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’ll go down fighting even if he does manage to kill me—that’s even more losses in his future. And for what? Making a statement about me going legit?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin didn’t like the thought of the Triple Threats killing Mako at all, even if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>manage to take down a few of his attackers with him. “Maybe that would still be worth it to him. They really didn’t want you to leave.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, they didn’t want me turning on them,” Mako said. “But Zolt knows now that I wouldn’t, so he’s got less to worry about.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why? Because you told the hit team you wouldn’t?” Bolin asked, frowning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, because I didn’t snitch on his whole operation when the metalbenders were interviewing me about the attack,” Mako said. “I could have given them names, addresses, numbers...the works. Outside of descriptions of my attackers, I didn’t. That sends a message right back: mess with me, and I’ll make you pay for it. Leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin bit his lip. It seemed like a very shaky, uneasy truce. “I don’t know, Mako…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’ll be fine, Bolin,” Mako promised. “Even if they did want to come after me, they’ve got to wait for the heat from the last attack to die down. By the time it does, I’ll be at the top of my game again, and they’ll be risking the same losses just to prove a point. At some point, it’s gonna make them look weaker to come after me and lose then it does to just cut me loose.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin swallowed again. “I guess maybe that makes sense, but...I just...if it </span>
  <em>
    <span>doesn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>work out like that...I really don’t want to go through this all over again.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t know if I </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>do that again, Mako. It was so scary…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know, Bo. I understand.” Mako’s hand rested gently on his shoulder. “But I can’t stay hidden inside forever either. I know it was scary, but that can’t stop us from moving on with our lives. If we do that, we’ll never escape the control of the Triads.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin took a shaky breath. As much as he hated to admit it—as much as he would prefer Mako stay nice and safe in the arena until he was completely better—his brother was right. The whole point of going into pro-bending, moving to the arena, and trying to find legit jobs was to escape the Triads. If they caved now, hiding inside where it was safe, never trying anything new, then it didn’t matter if Mako wasn’t taking direct orders from Lightning Bolt Zolt anymore—they would still be letting the Triads make their decisions for them. And if they let it start now, it would never end, and then they were never truly going to be free.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had both known it wouldn’t be easy. It had just never hit Bolin until now that the hardest part about it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>living, </span>
  </em>
  <span>doing ordinarily, normal people things, even if it was actually pretty scary. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Bolin said eventually. “I get that. Just...maybe, give me some warning when you go? For now? Just for peace of mind.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako squeezed his shoulder gently. “Now that, I can do,” he promised. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Bolin said, setting Pabu gently down on the cushions next to him. “And one more thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bolin dragged him into another big platypus-bear hug before Mako could react, digging his chin into his brother’s shoulder. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Please </span>
  </em>
  <span>be careful,” he said. “You keep pushing yourself too hard, and I get we can’t be scared, but I don’t know what I’d do without you Mako. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. Don’t leave me alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, there was no answer. But then Bolin felt Mako’s arms circle around him as he returned the hug, less crushing but no less heartfelt. “How many times do I have to tell you, Bo? I’m always going to be here for you. I’m not going anywhere.” A pause. “But I...guess I can try to be a little more careful.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s all I’m asking,” Bolin said, burying his face more comfortably in Mako’s shoulder, muffling his words. “After all this, I want you to </span>
  <em>
    <span>enjoy </span>
  </em>
  <span>our new life, not work yourself into an early grave and get offed by Triads.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako snorted. “They’d have to drag me kicking and screaming into the spirit world, because I’m not budging without a fight. Especially not if it leaves my little brother to fend for himself.” He patted Bolin on the back a few times, and then pushed him away gently, hands on his shoulders as he looked his brother in the eyes. “You okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Bolin said. “Yeah. I...it’s still kind of scary, but...I think I’ll be okay.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good,” Mako said, and leaned back against the couch, relaxing just a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um…” Bolin touched his fingers together again nervously. “So, you...you said you were out job hunting? For me? Did you find anything? I wasn’t having much luck, but…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako gave him an almost apologetic look. “A few things that might have potential,” he said after a moment. “They’re temporary, but that’s better. If you get one, by the time it closes out, I should be able to work again and you won’t have to—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mako,” Bolin said, pouting a little. “You literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>promised you’d be a little more careful and take it easy. I don’t mind working, and it’s ok if you’re not </span>
  <em>
    <span>always </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one earning the yuans.” He sat up straighter. “How about we have some dinner and talk about it while we eat?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright,” Mako agreed, after a slow pause. “I can cook us some—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Bolin cut him off. “No cooking, and definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>no </span>
  </em>
  <span>firebending. Just walk me through what to do, and I’ll do it, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mako nodded, if grudgingly. But not before muttering under his breath, “I cannot wait until I’m back on my feet again. I hate this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For once, the both of them are completely in agreement.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The job Mako found for Bolin was tedious, boring, and long, and Bolin hated every second of it. But it was work, and it paid okay for a temporary job, even if it was just a few weeks of helping with the city delivery service. He could shift stone boxes around to sort things and send them flying off down the chutes with relative ease, even if it wasn’t particularly fun or entertaining. </p>
<p>It was the first legitimate paying work that Bolin had ever had, and yet it had already inspired him to find better alternatives for the future. The whole ‘train Pabu to do circus tricks’ idea sounded <em> much </em>better the longer he worked the delivery job. He was definitely going to have to get started on that training as soon as possible, in case they needed more money down the line...which they almost certainly would someday, even with Mako getting back to work.</p>
<p>He did gain a newfound respect for Mako, though. If this was the kind of thing he found to do out in the city all the time, then his brother had the stone will of a dedicated earthbender, whether or not he shot fire out of his hands. </p>
<p>The work wasn’t glamorous, but it did give them enough extra yuans to cover their rent for the month, <em> and </em>pay a little extra back to Toza. That made Mako a little less anxious about their bills in turn, which made him less twitchy about getting out of the apartment and pushing himself hard for a source of income.  And when he actually took it easy like he’d promised, he healed. </p>
<p>What a surprise. </p>
<p>It meant that by the time a month had passed and Bolin’s temporary job had rolled around to its last day, Mako was officially back on his feet. Extended physical activity didn’t wind him anymore unless he <em> really </em>pushed it in a solid pro-bending workout. Since a solid pro-bending workout would wear out anybody, that didn’t worry Bolin. He had occasional bouts of muscle pain or soreness, but it was rare, and the healers had warned them something like that could happen. They said lightning had a tendency to leave lasting effects, sometimes for the rest of a person’s life. </p>
<p>It certainly had left a nasty scar on Mako’s chest. There was nothing the healers could really do about that, since they hadn’t been there at the exact moment of the strike. Bolin rarely saw it, since it was usually neatly covered up by Mako’s undershirt, and it never seemed to bother him. Bolin didn’t even think he was lying about that. </p>
<p>Best of all, Mako’s firebending had returned. He’d pushed the limits of his bending since the day he came home, to Bolin’s repeated frustration. But all that meditating and special breathing had paid off too, and he was finally at the point where firebending probably wasn’t going to hurt him anymore. He could manage mundane tasks like lighting the lamps or the pilot light in their stove unit with ease, and pro-bending-legal fire bolts and quick bursts didn’t cause him any trouble. Longer streams and blooms of fire were still a little shaky, but since Mako tended to avoid those anyway even when fully healed, it wasn’t so much of a problem. </p>
<p>And he had absolutely <em> promised </em> not to attempt generating lightning until he was <em> sure </em>his chi was all better. For once, Bolin was sure his brother meant it, and wouldn’t push the limits. If there was one thing Mako knew very well, it was lightning, and he took that particular art extremely seriously. Bolin wasn’t afraid of the technique blowing up in Mako’s face, or of his brother accidentally electrocuting himself, because he knew his brother wasn’t dumb enough to try it again until he knew he could handle it. </p>
<p>It wasn’t the only good news that came with Bolin’s last day of work. Since Mako had been put in the hospital, it had become a customary habit for Bolin to swing by the metalbenders’ station every few days to get news on Mako’s attackers. Although Mako’s analysis of the attack seemed to have been true, and none of the Triad hit team had come after him again in the weeks following his injury, Bolin could never quite shake a <em> little </em> bit of nervousness that they might still be out there hunting his brother. It wasn’t enough to drive him into hiding, not after the talk he and Mako had, but it did make him just a <em> teensy </em> bit uneasy. Even if he kept it to himself, and didn’t tell his brother.</p>
<p>But he was in luck, when he arrived at the station. One of the bored metalbenders had a message for him: the fire and water benders involved in his brother’s attack had finally been caught. The earthbender was nowhere to be found, but that didn’t surprise Bolin. If Mako’s guess was right, he’d either died of his injuries a long time ago, or he wasn’t currently working due to his recovery. The cop promised if he <em> was </em>found, the brothers would be notified. </p>
<p>Bolin hadn’t realized what a weight the news lifted from his shoulders until he caught the spring in his step on his way home. No matter what Mako said, Bolin would feel much better with the jerks that had tried to kill his brother behind bars. And even if the earthbender was still alive out there, Bolin doubted he’d try anything against Mako now—not after getting electrocuted that badly. </p>
<p>For the first time in a very <em> long </em> time, things really felt <em> okay </em>again.</p>
<p>He paused at his favorite dumpling stand to pick up a snack on the way back from the station. Today felt like a day worth celebrating, even if Mako would probably want to save the extra yuans. They were going to be ok. Things were so much better now. Everything else would work itself out, and not even a few spent yuans could change that.</p>
<p>He made his way back to the pro-bending arena in high spirits, with his pockets full of cash from his last paycheck, a tasty snack to look forward to in a paper bag, and great news on his mind. Mako wasn’t hard to find; he was in the practice gym, flinging fire bolts at one of the iron training dummies reserved for firebenders, while Pabu watched from the safety of one of the stored waterbending targets off to one side. His brother struck at the targets with ruthless efficiency, but paused when a grinning Bolin entered.</p>
<p>“You’re in a good mood,” Mako said, halting his assault on the helpless iron training dummy and turning to face him. “What’s up? Did your last day go well?”</p>
<p>“It went great,” Bolin said, still grinning. Pabu squeaked, leapt off of the water target, and scurried across the floor, scrambling up to Bolin’s shoulder. “They gave me a little bonus for my help.”</p>
<p>“Great!” Mako said, eyes lighting up. </p>
<p>“Which I spent on dumplings,” Bolin added, holding up the paper bag. </p>
<p>Mako blinked, and his eager look slipped into annoyance, before he schooled himself to a neutral expression. “Oh. Well. We could’ve used the extra money on the loan—”</p>
<p>“We’ve also gotta <em> live </em> a little,” Bolin said. “You said so! Besides, I’m a growing boy, and I need to eat. Also, these are <em> celebratory </em>dumplings, which makes them taste extra good.” He opened the bag and shoved it in Mako’s direction. Toza would kill them if he caught them eating in his gym, but it was worth it. “Go ahead, have one.”</p>
<p>Mako raised an eyebrow at him. “What are we celebrating?”</p>
<p>Bolin waved the bag at him insistently, and refused to answer until Mako picked out one of the dumplings and stuffed it in his mouth. “We’re celebrating the fact that two of the three guys who attacked you are officially in jail,” he announced brightly, before plucking out one of the dumplings for himself. </p>
<p>Pabu squeaked in indignation on his shoulder, so he fished out a second and handed it off to his pet. The fire ferret promptly lashed his long tail around Bolin’s neck securely for balance, accepted the gift with his two front paws, and nibbled away, placated.</p>
<p>Mako almost choked on his mouthful of dumpling, but managed to swallow it before gasping, “What, really?”</p>
<p>“Really,” Bolin said, voice muffled from his own mouthful of food. “Just checked in at the station today. The earthbender’s still missing, but they got the other two.”</p>
<p>Mako grinned a little. “I’m not too worried about him. But that’s great. If Zolt was thinking of sending anyone after me before, he probably won’t now. A whole strike team out of commission over one street rat just isn’t worth it.” </p>
<p>Bolin nodded in agreement, fishing around in the paper bag for another dumpling. “Yeah. So. Celebrating! Because, y’know, the guys that tried to kill you can’t do that now.”</p>
<p>“Alright,” Mako conceded. “Fair. I can’t argue with you using your own money to get yourself food anyway.”</p>
<p>Bolin thought that was a weak argument, considering Mako <em> always </em> spent <em> all </em>of the money he earned for the two of them—their rent, the meals he cooked them, their clothes and gear—and never just himself. If Mako’s hard-earned yuans were communal, Bolin didn’t see why his would be exempt, especially when Mako found him the job to begin with. </p>
<p>But his brother was in a good mood, and he didn’t feel like arguing with him over words. Instead he held out the dumpling bag to Mako again, because if Mako didn’t consider his cash shared, at least he could share the food he’d spent it on. </p>
<p>“Besides,” Mako added, plucking a second dumpling out of the bag at Bolin’s insistent shake, “We’ve got more than one thing to celebrate today.” </p>
<p>“I know you’re feeling better,” Bolin said. “That’s definitely worth celebrating. You said you were gonna look for some side work tomorrow, right?”</p>
<p>“That’s the plan,” Mako agreed. “But it’s not what I had in mind.” </p>
<p>He popped the dumpling in his mouth, just as Bolin’s curiosity was piqued, and spent an annoyingly long time chewing and swallowing, drawing out the wait. Bolin pouted at him, and snatched the last dumpling from the bag, just to show him what he thought of that. </p>
<p>“Toza was in here earlier, watching me train,” Mako explained, after he’d annoyed Bolin <em> just </em>enough. “He doesn’t think I’ve fallen too far behind, even being laid up for a month. And he’s been keeping an eye on your training, too. He figures if we work hard, in about two months, we can start thinking about registering officially with the pro-bending circuit.” </p>
<p>Bolin stared at him for a long moment. Then, with a whoop, he leapt into the air, thrusting his hands up with excitement. “Yes! <em> Yes! </em>That means we could be in by the next tournament season!” </p>
<p>Mako grinned. “Not that we’ll see any major winnings for a while, with a new team,” he said. “Toza said the season’s starting matches don’t pay <em> great.</em> They’re still weeding out the weaklings and casual teams from the legitimate, serious players, so the early months are kind of a mess. But we can start making a name for ourselves.” </p>
<p>“That’s all we need,” Bolin said. “Just imagine it! Legions of fangirls, all cheering on the underdogs, the undefeatable Fire Ferrets!”</p>
<p>Mako raised an eyebrow. “Fire Ferrets? Is that the name we’re going with? I figured we’d pick something more...intimidating.” Pabu squealed at him over his half-eaten dumpling, and Mako added, “No offense.”</p>
<p>“Pabu’s intimidating!” Bolin argued. His pet puffed up his fur to almost twice its usual size and showed his sharp little needle teeth, roaring shrilly. “See?”</p>
<p>“Very terrifying,” Mako deadpanned, arms crossed.</p>
<p>“Besides, we already have a mascot,” Bolin said, gesturing to Pabu as the fire ferret went back to nibbling on his snack. “And it’s not taken in the register yet. And who wants to be a big, beefy monster anyway? Being fast and smart has always been our thing.”</p>
<p>Mako shook his head, but his expression was fond. “Alright, alright. Fire Ferrets it is. Now we just need to start scouting for a good waterbender, and shore up our training.”</p>
<p>“That can’t be too hard,” Bolin said. “There must be tons of waterbenders that want to get into pro-bending. I’m sure we can find a great one!”</p>
<p>“The problem isn’t so much if they’re any good. It’s if they can work well in a team with us,” Mako said. “We need somebody we can rely on in a tough spot.” He shrugged, stepping away to return to his iron firebending targets. “We’ll figure it out. We’ve got a couple months to look for the right person.”</p>
<p>It might be tricky. Bolin and Mako had worked together for literally their whole lives. They had a level of synergy, born from blood and forged stronger on the streets, that made them work well together even without words. Introducing a third person, even for just pro-bending, might take a little work...especially when Mako wasn’t exactly a great team player, or good at easing up enough to let others take a little responsibility.</p>
<p>But Bolin had a good feeling about their rapidly approaching pro-bending career. There was something in his gut that told him they were going to find the perfect waterbender for their team. Whoever it was, they’d be a top-notch waterbender, and between the three of them they would be the first rookies to go all the way to the Championship. </p>
<p>In fact, he had a good feeling about life in general. It was hard to imagine that just under two months ago, Mako had been in the hospital, and Bolin hadn’t known if his brother would ever wake up again. The future had been so <em> uncertain </em> back then. He’d barely thought about the next day, much less months into the future, and <em> nothing </em>had seemed like it would ever go right again. He hadn’t even been sure he could be strong enough to take care of everything for Mako, the way his brother always had for him.</p>
<p>But that had all changed. Bolin <em> had </em> handled things, and proved even to himself that he was just as strong as his brother when it came to it. Mako was alive, and <em> okay. </em>Better than okay, because he was facing the world for the two of them again like he always had, taking back that burden of responsibility without a shred of hesitation or regret. Bolin appreciated his brother more than he ever had, understanding just how heavy that burden was, but he knew for sure now he could bear that weight if Mako stumbled under its pressure. </p>
<p>The people responsible for almost killing him were in jail, or not likely to try anything again. Mako had sent his message to the Triads, and it seemed like they were <em> really </em>free. They had a warm, safe home to call their own, and their dream had never been closer. And while they still had money troubles, they had a plan to deal with it, and they could face it together. </p>
<p><em> Nothing </em>could take the brothers down as long as they were together.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna be okay, Pabu,” Bolin murmured to his pet, low enough that Mako probably wouldn’t hear him. Pabu’s ears pricked, and the fire ferret trilled, nuzzling his head against Bolin’s happily. Bolin grinned, and scratched him under the chin, prompting further pleased trills.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he said. “Everything’s gonna be<em> just </em>fine.”</p>
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